Norway boasts the highest electric vehicle adoption rate in the world. 82% of new car sales were EVs in Norway in 2023. In comparison, 7.6% of new car sales were electric in the U.S. last year, according to Kelley Blue Book estimates. The Norwegian government started incentivizing the purchase of EVs back in the 1990s, but it wasn’t until Tesla and other EV models became available about ten years ago that sales really started to take off. Norway’s capital, Oslo, is also electrifying its ferries, buses, semi trucks and even construction equipment. Gas pumps and parking meters are being replaced by chargers. It’s an electric utopia of the future. CNBC flew across the globe to meet with experts, government officials and locals to find out how the Scandinavian country pulled off such a high EV adoption rate.
Chapters:
2:01 - Incentives and subsidies
11:51 -Charging and energy stations
20:54 - Charging anxiety
20:56 - Next phase of Norway’s EV transition
32:08 - Lessons for the U.S.
Produced and Shot by Jeniece Pettitt
Edited and Shot by Erin Black
Additional Camera and Drone by Magdalena Petrova
Animation by Jason Reginato
Senior Production Manager Kathy Mavrikakis
Winter Footage Nikita Gavrilovs
