A Historic Moment in Norway: More Electric Cars Than Diesels

The breakthrough occurred on December 4, 2025. On this day, electric cars became the largest group in Norway’s passenger car market. Electricity has become the dominant type of propulsion nationwide. This change is the result of years of growth in electric vehicle registrations, driven by the country’s regulations and, previously, numerous discounts and tax incentives.

At the beginning of December 2025, electric cars made up 31.78% of Norway’s passenger vehicles. The share of diesel cars dropped to 31.76%. Petrol cars accounted for 23.90% of the fleet. Hybrids, both conventional and plug-in, together made up 12.56%.

OFV notes that this is the first time such a situation has occurred in Norway’s history. In the new automotive market, petrol and diesel cars now play a marginal role. At the same time, more than two-thirds of the entire fleet are still combustion engine vehicles. The replacement process remains uneven over time.

The transformation is progressing fastest in the new car segment. The share of electric cars in new sales rose from 89.3% in 2024 to 95.6% in 2025. In several regions, including Innlandet, Nordland, and Troms, over 90% of new cars were electric. In Finnmark, the share increased from 77.68% to 84.69%.

Regional differences remain pronounced. Oslo has the highest share of electric cars in the entire fleet, at 45.54%. High values are also recorded in Akershus and Vestland. The highest share of diesels is found in Finnmark, Troms, and Nordland, where combustion engines still dominate.

Data from the Norwegian Road Traffic Information Council shows that the turning point in the automotive market structure has already occurred. At the same time, the pace of change varies regionally and depends on infrastructure conditions and regulatory frameworks. The coming years will show how quickly the dominance of electric cars will lead to a lasting decline in the number of combustion vehicles nationwide.