Volkswagen’s local importer believes that fully electric models will make up 90% of the brand’s sales in Norway next year, and a full 100% by the year 2023, thereby phasing out all ICE-powered models.
Last month, a record 61.5% of new cars sold in the Scandinavian country were powered by fully electric drivetrains, up from 42.4% in 2019 as a whole, reports Reuters. Norway aims to become the first country to end the sale of fossil-fueled cars by 2025.
By exempting battery-powered vehicles from taxes imposed on gasoline and diesel cars, Norway has managed to turn its car market into a bit of a laboratory for global carmakers looking for “proof of concept” in this segment.
Read Also: 2021 VW ID.4 EV Offers 250 Mile-Range, 201 HP RWD Powertrain For $39,995
The VW ID.3 made its debut last month in Norway, catapulting itself to the top of the sales rankings ahead of the Tesla Model 3 and the Polestar 2, according to the Norwegian Road Federation. It’s no wonder, then, that the German carmaker believes the sky’s the limit.
“This allows us to be confident in saying we can hit 90% electric car sales next year,” said Harald A. Moeller AS, the Norwegian importer of VW Group cars. “Customers will have access to an even greater selection of electric cars in most segments in 2021.”
While the ID.3 won’t cross the Atlantic into the United States, American buyers can look forward to the ID.4 SUV, which is priced from $39,995. In return for that sum, you get the entry-level single motor variant with 201 HP (204 PS) and a 82 kWh battery that’s offering an estimated driving range of 250 miles (402 km).
Next year, the more powerful dual-motor, AWD version will become available too, with 302 HP (306 PS).
