There has been discussion for years now in Norway, as it relates to banning gas-powered vehicles on the road, country-wide. Talks have been going on since 2007, with a renewed interest in 2009, and it seems to have spurred once again. Interestingly enough, Elon Musk, of Telsa Motors, seems to be the most excited about this new revelation, giving his thumbs up and approval; should the country decide to go ahead with this plan. The CEO of the company hit Twitter, to post his thoughts on Norway potentially banning gas cars by stating, “Just heard that Norway will ban new sales of fuel cars in 2025. What an amazingly awesome country. You guys rock!!”
Musk aside, a proposal was submitted as a part of the 2018-29 National Transport plan for Norway, a document that hit the public eyes in the spring of 2016. It’s important to note, that was simply a proposal, as the country has not yet determined if they want to in fact, ban fuel-powered vehicles. The goal for Norway is to heighten the number of zero-emission cars by 2025, through restricting new gas-powered cars, and offering an increase in other environmentally-friendly options, such as super highways for bike travelers. According to CNBC, there is only approximately 150,000 new cars that are sold in the country annually, therefore, it would not be that challenging for a big bulk of new automobiles to be transformed into electric, in some way or another.
Autoblog reported that while its unsure if Norway will indeed ban gas vehicles over the next 10 years or so, it is undeniable that the country is taking steps in the right direction, and just might be the first nation to reach this incredible milestone. The electric vehicle (EV) industry is a strong one within this country, and that is partly thanks to a number of government initiatives within Norway; where they have offered EV owners a decrease taxes, and provide electric cars the privilege of riding in lanes designated for buses only. There is a heavy set of advocates promoting electric vehicles, which has helped to open the eyes of Norway’s politicians and governments, in an effort to strengthen this industry, and help preserve and protect the environment.
