Volkswagen, the maker of the iconic Golf and all-electric ID.4, will stop selling combustion-powered cars in Norway starting next year, according to the brand’s importer in the country, Moller Mobility Group.
This past weekend, the German automaker celebrated 75 years of presence in Norway, a country where plug-in vehicles can be found on almost every driveway and in almost every apartment parking lot. Last month, 93 percent of all the new cars registered in Norway were of the plug-in variety, with an 87.8 market share at the end of last year.
In other words, it’s safe to say that Norwegians like their EVs, with sales of internal combustion-engined cars dwindling for several years, so it makes sense for Volkswagen to switch to an all-electric portfolio here.
24 Photos
Moreover, the brand behind the ID.3 sold around 1.1 million cars in Norway in the 75 years it’s had a presence here, with EVs accounting for roughly 10 percent of that figure, all of them being imported in the last 10 years.
Mind you, VW isn’t the first carmaker to ditch gasoline- and diesel-burning models in the Nordic country, as Hyundai beat it to the punch and switched to an all-EV lineup here at the beginning of this year.
As a final farewell to fossil-fueled cars, Moller Mobility Group will place an order with Volkswagen for an ICE Golf in December, marking the end of an era for gas- and diesel-powered VW’s in this part of the world, at least when it comes to new vehicles.
From January to September, the ID.4 was Norway’s second-best-selling car with 5,832 registrations, while the Tesla Model Y took first place with 19,575 units registered. The Skoda Enyaq is the third most popular car in Norway so far this year, with 4,362 cars registered.
During the same period, the best-selling combustion vehicle was the Volvo XC40, which took fourth place on the list, with 3,816 registrations.
