Norway Leads the Way with Electric in 2018

From a benchmark national recycling system to an initiative striving to enforce 'emission -free fjords' by 2026, Norway is one of the most environmentally conscious countries on the planet. Now, the Nordic nation is pledging to ban sales of petrol and diesel cars by 2025 and is backing the promise up with a new record in electric vehicle adoption.

In 2018 almost a third of new cars sold in Norway were 100% electric, which marks a new record as the Scandinavian country attempts to discontinue sales of fossil fuel-powered vehicles by 2025. Exempting electric cars from national taxes and offering perks such as free charge points and parking has significantly helped to fast-track the shift from petrol and diesel engines to electric batteries.  

Norway hits 30% EV adoption rates in 2018

According to the Norwegian Road Federation (NRF), these types of incentives helped to boost sales of EVs, with over 30% of vehicles purchased in 2018 powered by electric batteries. This marks a significant increase from 2017, when just 20.8% of cars purchased were electric. While the outlook is bright, Thorsen cautioned that Norway still has a lot of ground to cover before the remaining two-thirds of consumers choose EVs over fossil fuel or hybrid cars.

"It was a small step closer to the 2025 goal," says NRF head Oeyvind Solberg Thorsen.

Scandinavia races ahead with electric revolution

The International Energy Agency (IEA) adopts a slightly different index and includes plug-in hybrids in its eco-friendly vehicle category. By this measure, Norway powered ahead in 2017 with a huge 39% of vehicles meeting IEA standards. Iceland won second place with 12% and Sweden bought up the rear with 6%. By contrast, countries like China managed adoption rates of just 2.2%, while the USA lagged, with just 1.2% of new car owners purchasing EVs in 2017.

While countries like Norway begin to phase out fossil fuels, engine oil still plays a paramount role in powering the oil and gas industry. Spotlighting the importance of preventive maintenance, 'Analysis of In-Service Oils Following ASTM D5185 with ICP-OES/AES' explores how a diagnostic can be used to determine the optimum time to perform repairs. Not only does the D51851 method developed by ASTM maximise productivity and increase up-time, but it also helps to minimise breakdowns and reduce the cost of repairs.