OSLO: The sale of electric cars in Norway rose last year by 48%, ensuring that almost two out of every three new automobiles were battery powered and making Texas-based Tesla Inc the top selling brand.
Seeking to become the first nation to end the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2025, oil-producing Norway exempts battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from taxes imposed on rivals using internal combusion engines (ICE).
Tesla grabbed an 11.5% share the overall car market, making it the number one brand for the first time on a full-year basis ahead of Germany's Volkswagen with 9.4%.
The U.S. auto maker on Sunday reported record quarterly deliveries that far exceeded Wall Street estimates, riding out global chip shortages as it ramped up China production. The Tesla Model 3 was the single most popular model of the year ahead of Toyota's hybrid RAV4, the sole car among the top-10 with an internal combustion engine, and Volkswagen's electric ID.4 in third place.
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