The Norwegian automobile market witnessed the registration of just around 11,000 new passenger vehicles, marking a decline of more than 10 per cent year-over-year, thanks partly to the plug-in electric car segment that also suffered a dip last month. According to the Norwegian Road Federation, a total of 11,083 new passenger cars were sold or registered in Norway during the month of August this year, which represents a decline of around 10.5 per cent from the same month of 2022. The year-to-date (YTD) sales result was also recorded in the red, with 3.4 per cent decline in sales to 85,157 units.

Plug-in electric car registrations also noted a decline last month, mostly because of plug-in hybrids, as all-electric car sales were flat. A total of 9,974 new passenger plug-in vehicles were registered in the country last month, down 6 per cent from the corresponding month of last year. However, it is also worth noting here that the plug-in car registration figure represents approximately 90 per cent of the total volume, up from 86 per cent a year ago.

The aforementioned figure includes 9,250 units of all-electric cars (just three more than a year ago) and 724 units of plug-in hybrid vehicles (down 48 per cent year-over-year). PHEV registrations were down year-over-year for the twentieth month in a row.

A deeper analysis of the shared data also makes it crystal clear that plug-in electric car sales suffered a decline last month mostly because of a steep decline in plug-in hybrid vehicles sales while all-electric car sales remained flat.

When it comes to models, Norway’s automotive landscape witnessed a clear shift in preferences as the Tesla Model Y emerged as the No. 1 vehicle, with an impressive 1,452 units registered. The Volkswagen ID.4 and the Skoda Enyaq iV followed at the second and third spots, with 712 and 704 units registered, respectively.

Year-to-date (YTD) also, the Tesla Model Y crossover continued its dominance, as it accumulated substantial registrations of 17,099 units. German automaker Volkswagen Group’s EVs got 11,220 units registered, demonstrating the brand’s formidable presence in the fast-growing EV market. The Nissan Ariya's recent success over its older counterpart, the Nissan Leaf, pointed to customers’ ongoing shift towards trailblazing electric mobility options in the European market. In a nutshell, these aforementioned figures underline the growing preference for EVs in the Norwegian market.