As electric vehicles (EVs) continue to dominate the automotive market in Norway, March has marked a significant milestone in the country’s transition towards sustainable transportation. According to the Norwegian Authority for Vehicle Statistics (OFV), an overwhelming 98.4% of newly registered passenger cars in March were battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), highlighting Norway’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions.
In March, a total of 17,685 passenger cars were registered, of which 17,406 were electric. This leaves a mere 279 vehicles powered by alternative drivetrains, including 22 petrol and 126 diesel cars, with the rest being hybrids. This new record surpasses the previous high of 98.3% set in September 2025, as noted by the OFV.
Norway’s first quarter of 2026 concluded with a 97.9% market share for battery-electric vehicles. Between January and March, only 558 non-electric cars were registered, a sharp decline from the 2,606 registered during the same period last year. The overall market showed a strong recovery in March with 17,685 units sold, compared to just 7,272 in February and 2,218 in January. For more on February’s statistics, visit here, and for January, click here.
Geir Inge Stokke, Director of the Norwegian Road Traffic Information Council, stated, “March shows that new passenger car registrations are recovering after a weak start to the year. We are seeing a clear increase in volume, a new record for the share of electric cars, and a significant decline in registrations of cars with internal combustion engines.”
The dip in January was attributed to regulatory changes that took effect from January 1, 2026, leading many consumers to advance their purchases to November and December of the previous year. This resulted in high sales figures at the end of 2025 and a subsequent drop in January 2026, as detailed here.
In terms of market share, diesel cars accounted for 0.71%, petrol plug-in hybrids for 0.68%, petrol hybrids 0.03%, and pure petrol cars for 0.12%. Diesel plug-in hybrids made up just 0.03% of the market. Tesla emerged as the leading brand, capturing 34.8% of the market in March, followed by Volvo at 10.1% and Toyota at 8.4%. Volkswagen held a 7.2% market share, a decline from March 2025.
Year-to-date, Tesla’s registrations in Norway represent 27.4% of the market, showing growth compared to previous years, though still below its peak in 2023 when it held a 40.8% market share. Tesla’s Model Y topped the model rankings with 14,288 registrations, while the Model 3 was second with 1,860. Volvo’s EX40 and EX30 secured third and fifth places, respectively, with Toyota’s bZ4X in fourth.
Other notable models in the top 10 include the VW ID.4, BYD Sealion 7, Toyota Urban Cruiser, Škoda Elroq, and BMW X3. The rise of Chinese manufacturers like BYD, XPeng, and Zeekr is evident, as they continue to gain traction in the Norwegian market, contributing to the diversification of the EV landscape.
For more detailed statistics, please visit the official OFV website at ofv.no and ofv.no (both in Norwegian).
Original Story at www.electrive.com