Almost half of new cars sold in Norway this year have been electric

Almost half of new cars sold in Norway in the first six months of 2019 were fully electric, up from just over a quarter in the same period last year, according to data from the Norwegian Road Federation (NRF).

This solidifies Norway's position as the top global ranking in electric vehicle sales.

In total, 48.4% of all new cars sold from January to June were electric, surpassing the 31.2% seen for the full year 2018.

Electric vehicles are exempt from taxes imposed on vehicles powered by fossil fuel in Norway. There are also other benefits such as discounts on road tolls.

Norway is aiming to end the sale of diesel and petrol engines by the middle of the next decade.