Zahlen, bitte! 14 parking tickets as seed for Norwegian electric car revolution

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What is still causing major discussions in this country has already been implemented in Norway: by 2025, hardly any vehicles with purely internal combustion engines were sold there. Instead, the share of vehicles with electric motors among new registrations in that year was over 90 percent.

But how was that possible? This is also since Norway has practically no car industry of its own, electricity has long been supplied cheaply via renewable energy, and therefore discussions about propulsion took place much more unideologically. Nevertheless, a little push was needed.

Zahlen, bitte!

In this section, we present amazing, impressive, informative and funny figures ("Zahlen") from the fields of IT, science, art, business, politics and, of course, mathematics every Tuesday. The wordplay "Zahlen, bitte!" for a section about numbers is based on the ambiguity of the German word "Zahlen." On one hand, "Zahlen" can be understood as a noun in the sense of digits and numerical values, which fits the theme of the section. On the other hand, the phrase "Zahlen, bitte!" is reminiscent of a waiter's request in a restaurant or bar when they are asked to bring the bill. Through this association, the section acquires a playful and slightly humorous undertone that catches the readers' attention and makes them curious about the presented numbers and facts.

• Alle Artikel zu "Zahlen, bitte!"

The seed of the electric revolution was sown by members of the Norwegian pop band a-ha ("Take On Me" "The Sun Always Shines on T.V.") around singer Morten Harket and keyboardist Magne Furuholmen, environmental activist Frederic Hauge, and architect Harald Nils Røstvik. For this, in 1989, they needed a Fiat Panda converted into an electric car, persistence, and a bit of civil disobedience.

Electric car pioneer with little support

Røstvik had met Harket a few years earlier. Both were united by the desire to do something for nature and for better air quality. The architect regularly drove to the "Tour de Sol", a race for solar vehicles, which had been held in Switzerland since 1985 and brought together tinkerers from all over the world to compete in a race with solar-electric vehicles.

As early as the 1980s, his idea was to establish electromobility in Norway, but this was not supported by the authorities or the established environmental organizations. On the one hand, the development of electric cars was still in its infancy, and on the other hand, the organizations were more interested in expanding public transport.

However, he found allies in the band a-ha and the environmental organization Bellona. In 1989, he traveled to Switzerland for the Tour de Sol together with the band members and Frederic Hauge from the environmental organization Bellona.

Fiat Panda with lead batteries

There, a privately converted electric vehicle caught their interest: a Fiat Panda, whose rear seat had to make way for 14 lead batteries. Although the small car only offered space for two people and had to be plugged in for more than a day after just 45 kilometers, it was ideal as a real electric car for pioneering work in Norway. They bought the white Panda and tried to import it into the Scandinavian country.

Bureaucracy initially stood in the way: there was no procedure for importing and registering an electric car. Simply put, no one had tried it before. So they registered it as a motorhome, as the Panda – like the travel vehicles – had a propane gas heater. Thereafter, the vehicle was on site.

Now they began lobbying for e-mobility. They were annoyed by the high fees and drove through Oslo's toll roads without paying, deliberately parked the car in paid parking spaces, and vehemently refused to pay the accumulating fines.

No direct emissions, no fees?

They argued that the car emits no harmful exhaust gases and should therefore be toll-free. In addition to the free use of toll roads and free parking, they had further demands: no import tax or VAT, public charging stations, and permission to use bus lanes.

Norwegian electric car incentives

• No purchase/import tax on electric vehicles (1990–2022). From 2023, a purchase tax based on vehicle weight will be levied on all new electric vehicles.
  Exemption from 25% VAT on purchase (2001–2022). From 2023, Norway will levy 25% VAT on the purchase price above NOK 500,000.
• No annual vehicle tax (1996–2021). Reduced tax from 2021. Full tax from 2022.
• No fees on toll roads (1997–2017).
• No fees on ferries (2009–2017).
• Maximum 50% of the total amount of ferry fees for electric vehicles (2018)
• Maximum 50% of the total amount on toll roads (2018–2022). 70% from 2023.
• Free municipal parking (1999–2017)
• Access to bus lanes (2005–). New regulations allow local authorities to restrict access to electric vehicles carrying one or more passengers (2016–).
• 25% reduction in company car tax (2000–2008). 50% reduction in company car tax (2009–2017). Reduction of company car tax to 40% (2018–2021) and 20% from 2022.
• Exemption from 25% VAT on leasing (since 2015)
• Introduction of a "charging right" for residents of apartment buildings (2017–)
• Public procurement: From 2022, cars must be emission-free. From 2025, this will also apply to city buses.Source: Norsk elbilforening

The non-payment of fines led to the car being confiscated to recover the fees through sale. Since no one was interested in such an exotic at the auction, the Fiat could be bought for a small sum at the auction. It even paid off: instead of paying a fine of 300 Norwegian kroner (about 57 euros today), the vehicle could be bought back for 200 Norwegian kroner (about 34 euros in inflation-adjusted terms).

Supporters of the idea bought the Panda and returned it to the activists. According to Røstvik, they repeated this cat-and-mouse game a total of 14 times until the Norwegian government relented. In 1996, a law came into force that allowed electric vehicles in Norway to use toll roads and the ferry network free of charge.

Norway with its own e-mobility philosophy

Furthermore, quite a few things are different in Norway. Although there were some manufacturers in the pioneering era of automobiles, such as Norsk, Fossum, or Troll, all of them were only short-lived and disappeared from the market after a few years. Today, the electric microcar Buddy is the only vehicle from a Norwegian manufacturer.

Moreover, although Norway is a major oil-producing country, most of the oil is exported. Through high import taxes, the state can influence purchasing decisions. In addition, the electricity generated by hydropower is cheap and environmentally friendly. Thus, the conditions are different than in Germany, for example.

In 1990, Fiat launched the Panda Elletra: 9.2 kW power, 70 km/h top speed with a range of 100 kilometers and a weight of 1150 kg. This was made possible by 12 6-volt lead batteries.

While the Panda Elletra was not a success due to its price and rather modest performance, the e-car debate in Norway eventually developed under the motto "The Sun always shines on E".

(mawi)