Toyota takes surprise lead as battery EVs account for 94 pct of new car sales in Norway

The sale of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) across October in Norway accounted for 94 per cent of all new car sales, with hybrids accounting for barely over 3 per cent and – ironically – Toyota claiming top spot for the best selling EV.

New figures from Norway’s Road Traffic Information Council (OFV) showed that a total of 11,552 new passenger cars were registered in October, 2,627 more than in October 2023, an increase of 29.4 per cent.

Of that total, 10,862 were BEVs, representing a share of 94 per cent of new car sales, well up on the 84.2 per cent that BEVs accounted for in October 2023.

Hybrid cars accounted for only 3.2 per cent of all new car sales in October, including hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and diesel plug-in hybrids. In total, only 370 hybrid models were sold for the month, well down on the 1,124 sold in October 2023.

Sales of internal combustion engine (ICE) models were well and truly in the minority, with only 257 diesel models sold and 63 petrol models, accounting for 2.2 per cent and 0.5 per cent, respectively.

Remarkably, the best selling EV came from Toyota, the world’s biggest car maker which has staked its future on the success of hybrid vehicles.

Its bZ4X electric SUV came in first with 761 sales, followed by the Skoda Enyaq. The Tesla Model 3 and Y came in third and four places respectively. Only four of the top 10 selling EVs in Norway are available in Australia.