Tomorrow’s the last day Hyundai will sell any ICE cars in Norway
Hyundai will stop selling any cars with ICE engines in them, including plug-in hybrids, in Norway starting 2023 – one day from now.
Norway has been leading the charge in vehicle electrification for some time, well ahead of the rest of the world in EV market share percentage. Virtually all vehicles in the country have a plug nowadays, with ICE-only vehicles only holding on to a meager few percent of the market.
The decline of gasoline-powered vehicles has been so drastic that despite Norway’s goal to end gas vehicle sales by 2025, the country is already teetering on meeting that goal several years early. There is still a trickle of cars being sold without plugs in them, and we expect that to continue for some time, but for practical purposes, Norway is hovering very close to its goal.
Last year, 64.5% of cars sold in Norway were all-electric, up 10% from the previous year, and this year those numbers are up even further. We’ll get a final number in a couple days, but BEV market share should be just above 80%, with PHEV market share at 10% or so, and petrol- and diesel-only vehicles at 4-5% each.
Notably, PHEV market share has been dropping significantly this year compared to last year, while non-plug cars are holding relatively steady in the high single digit percentages.
So, most manufacturers are still selling cars with engines in them in the country. They may be selling in very small amounts, but you can still get something with an engine in it if you need a niche application. That said, even Svalbard Post has gone all-electric with its medium-duty postal vehicles, so there aren’t a lot of niches left that EVs won’t serve.
And, engine availability won’t last for long if Hyundai has something to say about it. The company stopped selling cars without plugs on them starting 2020 – it would still sell plug-in hybrids, but no petrol-only vehicles. Now, it’s ending even PHEV sales, and transitioning to only fully electric cars.
We have great faith in our model portfolio, and now that we have launched the all-new IONIQ 6, the time has come to sell only all-electric cars in the Norwegian market. IONIQ 5 and KONA Electric have long since taken positions as some of the most popular cars in the market, and we are confident that our pure electric cars will bring us continued success into the future.
Thomas Rosvold, Managing Director, Hyundai Motor Norway
These plug-in hybrids represented 7% of Hyundai’s sales in 2022, and electric cars have consistently accounted for over 90% of Hyundai’s Norway sales in recent years.
So, leaving behind those last few percent of hybrids won’t make an enormous difference to the bottom line and will help the company focus its messaging, sales, and logistics around what is obviously making up the bulk of its sales in the nation.
According to Hyundai, its Ioniq 5 is the fifth best-selling car in Norway this year, and Hyundai is the brand that Norwegians most associate with electrification – at least, if you don’t count electric-only startups like Tesla, which just set an all-time Norwegian sales record with the Model Y.
This is the first market where Hyundai will sell only all-electric cars. Hyundai isn’t the first company to announce a similar move, but it’s one of few. Volvo made a similar announcement at the beginning of this year, stating that it would shift to only BEV and PHEV sales in Norway by 2023. VW says it will only sell BEV cars, with no plug-in hybrids, in Norway starting in 2024.
This puts Hyundai ahead of both of these companies in terms of commitment, either in scope or in timeline.
Electrek’s Take
This is the first traditional ICE manufacturer that we can think of that has stopped sales of all vehicles with an internal combustion engine in them. There are of course startups like Tesla and Rivian, and sub-brands like Polestar, but it’s quite a statement for an entire company to stop selling engines. If you can remind us of another (we don’t get every Norwegian press release), let us know in the comments.
Yes, it’s just in one sales territory, and the writing was on the wall anyway since it’s clear that BEVs have taken over the country, but leaving behind engines is still a big step for an auto manufacturer, especially considering that most automotive IP has been outsourced to suppliers and engines are one of the few car parts that manufacturers do themselves anymore.
But the main point that I like to highlight with Norway is that the country set and met its goals early. Despite having the earliest all-electric goal in the world, 2025, the country seems to be meeting it pretty handily. That’s why when other places set unambitious goals like 2035 (or even later), on the one hand I wonder why they couldn’t have set an earlier goal, but on the other hand, I remind myself that there is a reasonable chance those goals are met earlier than expected.
Incidentally, Norway’s current 80%+ BEV share is just about enough to meet California’s 2035 gas car ban, which will actually allow 20% of vehicles to be plug-in hybrids. It won’t allow any non-electrified vehicles, but considering Norway is already at 80% EV, hopefully California will be able to get there soon enough.
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EV charging arm bp pulse has cut the ribbon on a long-promised new hub near LAX Airport. This is the first of many “Gigahubs” in the works and has opened as bp pulse’s largest EV charging station in the US.
bp pulse has risen as one of the world’s more prominent EV charging networks while simultaneously operating under the umbrella of one of the most notorious oil companies. To date, bp pulse has implemented over 40,000 EV charge points worldwide, including over 8,000 locations across 46 states in the US.
Part of that strategy includes a sub-network of bp pulse Gigahubs—large EV fast-charging hubs designed to serve ride-hail and taxi fleets near US airports and other high-demand regions. In October 2022, BP Pulse announced plans to bring its first Gigahub and implement EV charging near LAX Airport through a collaboration with Hertz, partially funded by a $2 million grant from the California Energy Commission (CEC).
Two and a half years later, bp pulse has officially cut the ribbon on its new LAX charging hub, which will soon formally open to the public.
bp pulse offers EV charging, lounge, and WiFi near LAX
According to a release from bp pulse today, the new EV charging Gigahub is located two miles from LAX Airport and features 48 DC charging piles. The chargers offer a mix of 150kW and 400kW options as well as CCS and NACS plugs.
During a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by bp pulse executives and key stakeholders, the EV charging business said the LAX Gigahub is its largest charging station in the US to date, and is the first of several more hubs in its pipeline that will be erected in collaboration with Hertz. Sujay Sharma, CEO of bp pulse Americas, spoke:
Our new hub near LAX is another example of how we’re bringing fast, reliable charging to our customers when and where they need it, alongside convenient amenities. We’re committed to expanding our charging network to more metro and airport locations like this one to support EV drivers and ride-hailing fleets in a simple, reliable, and cost-effective way.
In addition to an array of EV fast charging options, bp’s new LAX hub features a lounge, vending machines, restrooms, and complimentary WiFi. Per bp, the new Gigahub will be open to the public very soon.
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Kia plans to introduce a series of new models based on the PV5. During its PV5 Tech Day event on Tuesday, Kia revealed plans for seven new body types, including a camper (for the van lifers out there), a “Premium” luxury model, and a pickup truck.
Kia converts the PV5 EV van into much more
During the event on Tuesday, Kia gave us a closer look at what it’s calling “the world’s most useful electric mobility vehicle.”
The PV5 is Kia’s first electric van from its Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) business. According to Kia, the PBVs, or electric vans, are “total mobility solutions,” combining its most advanced software with fit-for-purpose EVs.
“The PV5, which marked the beginning of future mobility, implemented innovations encompassing space maximization, expandability, and connectivity through active communication with customers from the early stage of development,” Joo Su-ha, a managing director at Kia’s R&D headquarters, explained at the event.
Kia claims to be the first to use a unique new development process, enabling a wide range of uses. In fact, Kia found over 1,000 user scenarios through a 3D verification process with local government and institutions.
To unlock its full potential, Kia plans to introduce seven new body types based on the PV5 EV van. These include Passenger and Cargo models, a Cargo Compact (available in 3- and 4-door configurations), and a Cargo High Roof, which was launched in Europe and South Korea last month.
New variations will include an open bed, Light Camper, Prime luxury passenger, built-in truck, and a refrigerated truck.
Kia plans to begin delivering PV5 Passenger and Cargo Long models in its home market next month, followed by Europe and other global markets, starting in the fourth quarter.
With new variants on the way, we’ve already caught a glimpse of a few out in public testing. Last month, we got our first look at the PV5 with an open bed. In May, the Conversion model, which will host new top hats including the Light Camper, was spotted on a car carrier in Korea.
Kia opened pre-orders for the PV5 Passenger and Cargo models in the UK on May 1, starting at £32,995 ($44,000) and £27,645 ($37,000), respectively.
It’s available with two battery pack options: 51.5 kWh or 71.2 kWh. The PV5 Passenger has a WLTP range of 179 miles and 249 miles, respectively. The Cargo model has the same battery pack options but is rated for a range of either 181 miles or 247 miles.
Kia aims to sell around 3,000 to 4,000 PV5 electric vans in its first full year of sales. But by the end of the decade, the Korean automaker expects to sell around 17,000 PBVs annually.
Following the PV5, Kia will introduce the larger PV7 in 2027 and PV9 in 2029. Kia builds all PBV models at its Hwaseong EVO plant in South Korea, which has the capacity to produce up to 150,000 units per year.
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Enbridge is going big on solar again in Texas, and Meta is snapping up all the solar power it can get.
Last month, Electrek reported that the Canadian oil and gas pipeline giant just launched its first solar farm in Texas. Now it’s given the green light to Clear Fork, a 600 megawatt (MW) utility-scale solar farm already under construction near San Antonio. The project is expected to come online in summer 2027.
Once it’s up and running, every bit of Clear Fork’s electricity will go to Meta Platforms under a long-term contract. Meta will use the solar power to help run its energy-hungry data centers entirely on clean energy.
The solar farm project’s cost is around $900 million. Enbridge says it expects Clear Fork to boost the company’s cash flow and earnings starting in 2027.
Enbridge EVP Matthew Akman said the project reflects “growing demand for renewable power across North America from blue-chip companies involved in technology and data center operations.”
Meta’s head of global energy, Urvi Parekh, added that the company is “thrilled to partner with Enbridge to bring new renewable energy to Texas and help support our operations with 100% clean energy.”
Meta’s first multi-gigawatt data center, Prometheus, is expected to come online in 2026.
Clear Fork is part of a growing trend: tech giants like Meta, Amazon, and Google are racing to lock down renewable energy contracts as they expand their fleets of AI-ready data centers, which use massive amounts of electricity.
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