Norway’s full-year EV sales are in, and once again the country has broken its own record for EV adoption. In 2024, 88.9% of cars sold in Norway were all-electric, up from 82.4% in 2023.
The main holdout? Rental car companies, who service tourists who aren’t familiar with EVs.
In addition, plug-in hybrid sales tipped that number up to 91.6% of vehicles having a plug, as PHEVs captured an additional 2.7% of the market.
If we expand the definition to “electrified” vehicles, 5.3% of the market were conventional hybrids, bringing the total number of vehicles with an electric motor up to 96.9%. Only 2.3% of vehicles were diesel-only, and 0.8% of vehicles were petrol only.
The numbers confirm that Norway is basically on target with its plan to end gas car sales in 2025, a target it set last decade. It was already apparent years ago that the country was trending in the right direction, but anything could have happened, especially as Norway started reducing EV incentives as it had done in the last couple years.
Other countries that have reduced EV incentives have seen a drop in EV sales – like Germany, which has caused the European market to be the only global market to experience a drop in EV sales in the last year, as they rise everywhere else around the globe. But in Norway, EVs have continued to rise regardless.
While the country doesn’t have an official gas car ban on the books, the plan of high taxes on gasoline vehicles and perks for EVs had already worked out by the time those incentives were reduced, and it had already become normal to purchase an electric car rather than a gas car. Car companies even abruptly stopped offering non-EVs, realizing that the minuscule about of sales weren’t worth the bother.
While these numbers are all about the new car market, Norway’s EV market has been so strong for so long that now electric cars are starting to make up a significant percentage of cars on the road. At the end of 2024, that number now stands at 28.6% – not yet a majority, but it is more than the number of gas-only cars on the road. Diesel-only cars still outnumber EVs as the most common powertrain on Norway’s roads (at a bit over a third of cars on the road), but not for long.
But there are some holdouts, according to Ulf Tore Hekneby, who runs Harald A Moeller, Norway’s bigger car importer. Reuters quoted Hekneby as saying “the main buyers of ICE (internal combustion engine) cars in Norway are rental companies because many tourists are not familiar with EVs.”
So, native Norwegians have made the mental switch to electric, with the biggest share of ICE cars only being imported to serve foreigners from countries with comparatively low EV sales (like America, with its pathetic ~9% EV market share in 2024).
Rental companies in America have dealt with a similar issue, where Hertz made a huge EV purchase, only to later decide that it had overdone it, and that some renters just couldn’t figure out the cars (even though the EVs did increase Hertz’s overall customer satisfaction).
But it may not be long until those tourists have a harder time fueling a gas car than an EV, because for years now, gas stations have been replacing gas pumps with chargers and motor fuel sales have been dropping. Circle K, the largest gas station chain in Norway, says that it will have as many chargers as fuel pumps within three years.
Electrek’s Take
Norway’s EV adoption timeline has almost perfectly tracked the standard “S-curve” of technology adoption, accelerating over time until it reaches high levels, then flattening out for the last few percent of holdouts. We’re seeing that number now, where while Norway has basically hit its plan to eliminate gas car sales by 2025, there are likely to be a few here and there for various reasons.
This is why, for example, California’s much-vaunted “2035 gas car ban” (which, frankly, should be sooner) doesn’t actually ban all vehicles with a gasoline engine in them – it will allow for up to ~20% plug-in hybrids, assuming those PHEVs meet certain requirements.
However, most countries aren’t even close to having new EV sales eclipse new gas car sales, and Norway is already out here with over 90% of vehicles having a battery and more full EVs on the road than gas cars.
For all the complaints and protestations of impossibility that we keep hearing in the US, the Nordic countries have by and large left gas behind. All have high EV penetration, led by Norway, and there have not been any of the widespread problems that fossil fuel propaganda constantly tries to convince you that high EV use would lead to. The grid is fine, the cars work in the cold (even in the Northernmost human settlement on the planet), and everyone is happier with quieter roads and cleaner air.
Maybe instead of listening to ignorant clowns who are committed to increasing harm and costs, we should just take a look at how one of the happiest nations in the world has transformed its transportation system for the better, and take a few notes.
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With 272 miles of range and more room inside its walls than your first apartment, GM’s Chevy Brightdrop electric van is one of the best commercial EVs you can buy. And if you’re a Costco Executive member, you can get one for yourself or your business with an absolutely incredible $31,500 discount. (!)
Fleet electrification expert Tony Nisam took to LinkedIn yesterday to post a deal that he ran across at a Washington State Costco that stacks a $25,500 manufacturer rebate with $3,000 in “regular” Costco Member Savings, $2,750 in “LIMITED-TIME” Manufacturer to Member Incentives, plus an additional $250 for Costco Executive members.
Do a bit of math (add up 25,500 + 3,000 + $2,750 + 250), and you’ll calculate an almost unheard of $31,500 discount on one of the best, most capable commercial vans on the market – ICE or electric. And that’s before you factor in the 0% interest financing (72 mo.) being advertised at Blade Chevrolet, the Mount Vernon, Washington, where VIN 2G58J2TY6S9104313 (the exact van shown, below) is shown as stock number 16757.
If you’re not a Costco member yet and you’re looking for a new truck for your business or even a unique #vanlife ride with zero emissions, modern tech, and a nationwide dealer network, GM makes that $130 Executive membership seem like a no-brainer.
Kind of a big deal
“But wait,” says the floating, disembodied ghost of the great Billy Mays. “There’s more!” In addition to the $31,500 worth of discounts Costco Executive members get, there are deals to be had on chargers AND a number of other state and local utility incentives your business might qualify for, bringing the cost of adding a new Chevy Brightdrop to your fleet even lower. In northern Illinois, for example, ComEd commercial customers can get up to $7,500 in rebates for a new Brightdrop Zevo van.
Is a $39,000 price cut enough to get you to take a look at a new Brightdrop? At $45,235 (from a starting price of $84,235), can you afford not to? Head down to the comments and let us know.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Tony Nisam.
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Tesla has quietly removed the Cybertruck’s range extender from the options in its online configurator.
Does Tesla still plan to bring the product to market?
When Tesla unveiled the production version of the Cybertruck in late 2023, there were two main disappointments: the price and the range.
The tri-motor version, which was the most popular in reservation tallies, was supposed to have over 500 miles of range and start at $70,000.
Tesla now sells the tri-motor Cybertruck for $100,000 and only has a range of 320 miles.
As for the dual-motor Cybertruck, it was supposed to cost $50,000 and have over 300 miles of range. The reality is that it starts at $80,000, and it has 325 miles of range.
However, Tesla had devised a solution to bring the range closer to what it originally announced: a separate battery pack that sits in the truck’s bed. Tesla called it a “range extender.” It costs $16,000 and takes up a third of the Cybertruck’s bed.
Even though the Cybertruck has been in production for a year and a half at this point, the range extender has yet to launch.
Initially, Tesla said that it would come “early 2025”, but we reported that it was pushed to “mid-2025” late last year.
At the time, Tesla also reduced the range that the removable battery pack adds to the Cybertruck to “445+ miles” rather than “470+ miles” for the dual motor – a ~25-mile reduction in range.
Now, Tesla has removed the option from its online Cybertruck configurator. It used to take reservations for the range extender with a “$2,000 non-refundable deposit”, as seen on the image above, but now it’s not in the configurator at all at the time of writing.
It’s unclear if Tesla is not planning to launch the product anymore or if it is just pausing reservations.
In its specs page, Tesla still lists the achievable range of both versions of the Cybertruck with and without the range extender battery:
Electrek’s Take
I’m curious. Is it dead, or does Tesla just want to stop taking reservations for it?
At first, I was curious about the product even though I didn’t think it would make up for Tesla’s significant miss on Cybertruck specs.
However, after it was confirmed that it takes up 30% of your bed and that it needs to be installed and removed by Tesla at a service center, I think it’s pretty much dead on arrival at $16,000.
It’s going to be a product limited to only a few people at best. And now that’s if it makes it to market.
With the option being removed from the configurator, there’s no production timeline available. Again, the last one was “mid-2025”, which is soon.
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Environment
EcoFlow members can save up to 65% on power stations while supporting disaster relief during the 2025 Member’s Festival
Portable power station specialist EcoFlow is kicking off its third annual Member’s Festival this month and is offering a unique new rewards program to those who become EcoFlow members. The 2025 EcoFlow Member’s Festival will offer savings of up to 65% for its participating customers, and a portion of those funds will be allocated toward rescue power solutions for communities around the globe through the company’s “Power for All” fund.
EcoFlow remains one of the industry leaders in portable power solutions and continues to trek forward in its vision to power a new tech-driven, eco-conscious future. Per its website:
Our mission from day one is to provide smart and eco-friendly energy solutions for individuals, families, and society at large. We are, were, and will continue to be a reliable and trusted energy companion for users around the world.
To achieve such goals, EcoFlow has continued to expand its portfolio of sustainable energy solutions to its community members, including portable power stations, solar generators, and mountable solar panels. While EcoFlow is doing plenty to support its growing customer base, it has expanded its reach by giving back to disaster-affected communities by helping bolster global disaster response efforts the best way it knows how– with portable power solutions.
EcoFlow and its members look to provide “Power for All”
Since 2023, EcoFlow has collaborated with organizations worldwide as part of its “Power for All” mission. This initiative aims to ensure access to reliable and timely power to disaster-affected communities across the globe, including rescue agencies, affected hospitals, and shelters, to support rescue and recovery efforts.
This fund most recently provided aid for communities affected by the recent Los Angeles wildfires, assistance to the Special Forces Charitable Trust (SFCT) in North Carolina following severe hurricanes, and support for non-profits engaged in hurricane preparedness in Florida and the Gulf Coast. Per Jodi Burns, CEO of the Special Forces Charitable Trust:
In the wake of devastating storms in Western North Carolina, reliable power was a critical need for the families we serve. Thanks to EcoFlow’s generous donation of generators, we were able to provide immediate relief, ensuring these families and their communities had access to power when they needed it most. We are so impressed with EcoFlow’s commitment to disaster response through their ‘Power for All’ program. It has made a tangible impact, and we are deeply grateful for their support and partnership in helping these families recover and rebuild.
In 2024, the US experienced 27 weather and climate events, each causing losses exceeding $1 billion, marking the second-highest annual total on record, according to National Centers for Environmental Information. The increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters underscore the critical need for reliable and timely power solutions during emergencies, much like EcoFlow and its members are helping provide through the “Power For All” initiative.
To support new and existing EcoFlow members, the company is celebrating its third annual Member’s Festival throughout April to offer a do-not-miss discount on its products and donate a portion of all sales to the “Power for All” fund to provide rescue power to those in need in the future. Learn how it all works below.
Save big and give back during the 2025 Member’s Festival
As of April 1st, you can now sign up to become an EcoFlow member to participate in the company’s exclusive 2025 Member Festival.
As a member, you can earn “EcoFlow Power Points” by completing tasks like registration, referrals, and product purchases and tracking your individual efforts toward disaster preparedness and recovery.
Beginning April 4, EcoFlow members will also be able to take advantage of exclusive discounts of up to 65% off select portable power stations, including the DELTA Pro Ultra, DELTA Pro 3, DELTA 2 Max, DELTA 3 Plus, RIVER 3 Plus, and more. However, these sale prices only last through April 25, so you’ll want to move quickly!
Click here to learn more about EcoFlow’s “Power for All” campaign. To register for EcoFlow’s 2025 Member Festival in the US, visit the EcoFlow website. To register as a member in Canada, visit here.
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