ThegreenCarWebsite reports that Nissan's fully electric LEAF supermini became the second-best selling car in Norway last month, selling 455 models in April.
In total 495 electric cars sold in the country last month, giving electric vehicles a 3.5 per cent overall market share. In total, Norway had more than 11,000 electric cars on the road-impressive for a country with a population of just five million.
It's long been the case that Norway was Nissan's biggest European market for its first electric vehicle, where the small family car was the 13th best selling car in 2012, and had climbed to 5th place in March 2013 but last month's results push Nissan to new highs.
What makes electric cars so popular in the country is that they qualify for exemption to VAT and purchase tax so that they cost around the same as a conventional car. In addition, electric vehicles benefit from other incentives such as exemption to toll charges, permission to drive in bus lanes and free parking and charging in public car parks.
Norway also recently confirmed that these incentives will remain in place until at least 2018-or until at least 50,000 zero-emission cars are on the road-giving consumers confidence to go out and buy a battery-powered car.
"It is historic to have an electric car model as number two on the sales statistics. It shows that Norwegians have great faith in electric cars," says Snorre Sletvold, President of the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association, "Norwegians have embraced the electric car."
With over 500,000 Norwegian households currently running two cars, most could easily switch one to a battery powered model. According to the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association, Norwegians typically drive just 42km (26 miles) a day-easily within the means of today's electric cars.
