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illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Washington Post or enjoy below:
🗞️ Driving the news: Norway, including its remote Arctic region of Finnmark, has become the global leader in electric vehicle (EV) adoption, with nearly 90% of new car sales in 2024 being fully electric — and 97% in the latest monthly tally
• The country achieved this through sustained government incentives, high fuel taxes, and a national charging network that overcomes both geographical and climatic challenges, even in areas with extreme winter conditions and vast distances
🔭 The context: Norway began promoting EVs in the 1990s but saw real traction after introducing aggressive tax exemptions: no VAT, no import duties, and perks like free tolls and parking
• Although Norway doesn’t manufacture EVs, it has leveraged its oil-funded sovereign wealth fund (worth $1.7 trillion) to finance climate policies
• Today, it boasts 174 fast chargers per 100,000 people, compared to 11 per 100,000 in South Carolina, a U.S. state with a similar population
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Norway’s success shows that transitioning to EVs is possible even in cold, rural, and logistically difficult environments — if infrastructure and financial incentives are aligned
• It offers a viable policy blueprint for other nations, especially as EV prices drop globally
• However, the environmental footprint of EV supply chains, such as proposed Arctic mining, raises equity and ecological concerns for Indigenous communities and local ecosystems
⏭️ What's next: While Norway is close to its goal of 100% zero-emission new car sales by 2025, the final few percent may be difficult due to infrastructure lags in rural areas and lingering concerns over winter range
• EVs now outnumber internal combustion engine vehicles on Norwegian roads, but diesel cars remain prominent
• Future focus areas include converting heavy-duty transport, addressing charging station wait times, and balancing EV expansion with sustainable sourcing of battery minerals
💬 One quote: "Maybe they should search somewhere where the people aren’t as close to the nature." — Ann-Kristine Bongo, a reindeer herder, criticizing copper mining projects linked to EV battery production
📈 One stat: 20% – the average cold-weather range loss for EVs in Norway, according to the Norwegian Automobile Federation
See on illuminem's Data Hub™ the sustainability performance green tech companies like Tesla, Volkswagen, and BYD
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