Norway has set a new record in electric-vehicle adoption. According to the Norwegian Road Traffic Information Council, or OFV, 96% of new-car sales there last year were electric passenger cars. 

"2025 has been a very special car year. We see the effect of long-term and targeted electric car policy, and how specific tax decisions have an immediate impact on the market,” said Geir Inge Stokke, director of the transportation interest group.

Norway was already the world's EV adoption leader, but the new level puts it well beyond other countries on automotive electrification. The milestone means the country has nearly reached the goal that Norwegian politicians set 10 years ago for all new passenger car and light van sales to be emissions-free. The OFV, though, still isn't entirely satisfied.

"We should be proud that Norway has reached the fairly ambitious zero-emission target for new car sales," Stokke said. "At the same time, it is important to remember that around two out of three passenger cars on the road still run on fossil fuels, in addition to the fact that there are regional differences in new car sales. So even though this is an important milestone, we must continue the work towards an emission-free vehicle fleet." 

One brand once again dominated Norway’s EV market: U.S.-based Tesla. Despite the automaker’s decline in global sales last year, it set Norwegian records. Almost one in five new cars sold in Norway were Teslas, for a market share of 19%. At the end of November, the brand had passed a previous annual record for one car brand in Norway with over 34,000 new Tesla passenger cars registered. The Model Y set a new annual record with more than 27,000 first-time registrations, the highest number ever for a single car model in a single year in the country.

"To take almost 20 percent market share in a year with record-high new car sales is in itself sensational. When a brand also achieves such volumes with so few models, it says a lot about both demand and Tesla's impact in the Norwegian market," Stokke said.

Norway broke its previous record for annual new passenger car registrations in 2025 with over 179,000 registered. December alone saw a 158% year-over-year increase with over 35,000 new passenger cars registered.