14 DAY TRIAL // All-electric cars might be gaining popularity in several countries across the world, but it would appear that if there is one place where they are pretty much the belles of the ball and the coolest four-wheelers on the block, then this place is Norway.
It is estimated that, come this year's April, such environmentally friendly vehicles will account for 1% of the country's entire fleet. Otherwise put, 1 in every 100 cars owned and driven around by people living in Norway is going to be a purely electric one.
In all fairness, having electric cars account for 1% of a country's overall fleet might not sound all that impressive at first. Still, should one decide to have a close look at the color of the grass growing in other yards, they would find that Norway's is stunningly green.
Thus, NPR tells us that, for the time being, all-electric vehicles only make up roughly 0.07% of the United States’ entire fleet. Needless to say, this percentage makes Norway's 1% sound way better than it used to just moments ago.
The same source tells us that purely electric vehicles have come to be this popular in Norway chiefly due to a series of incentives that people were offered in an attempt to convince them to switch from relying heavily on fossil fuels to embracing cleaner technologies.
Of these incentives, the one that helped the most was the no taxes policy. This is because, in this country, taxes can quite often double or triple a car's purchase price, and because, whenever possible, people do their best to avoid them.
No tolls, free use of the bus lanes, free parking, free ferry rides, and free charging at municipal stations are other benefits that electric vehicle owners who are lucky enough to live in Norway get to enjoy.
Reports say that, thanks to these incentives, it was in last year's September when the all-electric Tesla Model S topped the monthly best-seller list. Apparently, this was the first time when an electric car had ever managed to secure the top position on a best-seller list.
Interestingly enough, the Tesla Model S was dethroned after just one month by another all-electric model. Thus, the car that sold best in Norway in October 2013 was the Nissan LEAF.
It is estimated that, for the time being, Norway is home to nearly 25,000 purely electric cars. Judging by how things are going, it is likely that, by next year, the number of such environmentally friendly cars driven up and down the country's roads will up to an impressive 50,000.