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2023-05-12 Science & Technology
Norway's near-total adoption of electric vehicles appears to be going smoothly, defying skeptics
[The Week] Norway is more than a decade ahead of the U.S. in its adoption of electric vehicles. If the Biden administration's goal of having 50 percent of new vehicles be electric by 2030 sounds ambitious, Norway passed that mark in 2019, The New York Times reports. In 2022, 80 percent of Norway's new car sales were electric, and it plans to phase out gas-powered cars entirely in 2025. So far, "Norway's experience suggests that electric vehicles bring benefits without the dire consequences predicted by some critics," the Times reports.

Oslo's air is noticeably cleaner — and much quieter — and its greenhouse gas emissions have dropped 30 percent since 2009 with no big uptick in unemployment at gas stations or auto mechanics, or significant strain on the electrical grid. Norway has put a lot of work into making the transition, starting with enacting policies to promote electric vehicles in the 1990s and, more recently, subsidizing the rollout of fast-charge stations throughout the country.

The combination of tax breaks for EV owners and readily available charging stations "took away all the friction factors," Volvo Cars CEO Jim Rowan told the Times. But the U.S. and other countries can learn from Norway's challenges with electric cars, not just its successes. That includes figuring out the optimal number and locations for charging stations, and dealing with the frustrations of new EV drivers learning to plug in their cars. "Sometimes we have to give them a coffee to calm down," Marit Bergsland, who works at a Circle K north of Oslo with more charging stations than gas pumps, tells the Times.
Posted by Besoeker 2023-05-12 06:37|| || Front Page|| [11141 views ]  Top

#1 Prediction: This will become "interesting" in the winter.
Posted by ed in texas 2023-05-12 09:20||   2023-05-12 09:20|| Front Page Top

#2 Abundant supply of hydropower in a limited area plus overall lack of local corruption ...try duplicating that magic sauce anywhere else.
Posted by magpie 2023-05-12 09:31||   2023-05-12 09:31|| Front Page Top

#3 Apples and Oranges. We are not Norway or Scandinavia...not yet anyway.


Posted by Besoeker 2023-05-12 09:38||   2023-05-12 09:38|| Front Page Top

#4 'Appears...' - makes you wonder what they're not reporting (like battery fires), which is exactly how you need to read the news.
Posted by Raj 2023-05-12 10:16||   2023-05-12 10:16|| Front Page Top

#5 Norway is about 3% of the size of the US. Cars and trucks do not have to travel anyway near what they do in the US.
Posted by Rambler in Virginia 2023-05-12 10:16||   2023-05-12 10:16|| Front Page Top

#6 Norway has put a lot of work into making the transition, starting with enacting policies to promote electric vehicles in the 1990s and, more recently, subsidizing the rollout of fast-charge stations throughout the country.

So a 30 years project, in a city in Norway, and people are still so upset you give them...coffee?...to settle down while their car charges.

This is a bullshit article, an advertisement, 'cus Brandon is gonna get it done trans-USA is less than 10 years.
Posted by swksvolFF 2023-05-12 10:30||   2023-05-12 10:30|| Front Page Top

#7 It does not matter. The total carbon of those electric cars are destroying this planet. They are a rolling hazmat site, the materials used for this car are transported at least twice across the ocean by the single most polluting vehicles in the world. Look at the carbon emitted by the freight ships. The actual pollution caused by the manufacturing of these cars outpaces the total lifecycle of a standard automobile. All this act does is generate a false sense of worth and doing more harm than good, sort of like being a party member in the late 30's.
Posted by 49 Pan 2023-05-12 11:03||   2023-05-12 11:03|| Front Page Top

#8 Does that include snowmobiles?
Posted by Super Hose 2023-05-12 12:17||   2023-05-12 12:17|| Front Page Top

#9 
Posted by Skidmark 2023-05-12 12:50||   2023-05-12 12:50|| Front Page Top

#10 
BIGGER PICTURE VIEW

Norway's electricity is 99 % hydroelectric. About 1% fossil fuel
The USA is Oil based 60 +/-% 31.5% Hydro-electric

While here in the USA we have ECO Freaks tearing down our clean running Hydro-Electric Dams, to a save a fish or something that has not swam that river in 100 years.

We are losing GWatts ofr hydroelectric power every year in the USA .

About 40+ hydroelectric generating dams have been removed since just 1990.

PLUS,
with Norway out doing us in Hydroelectric power, it has far few cars per citizen that the
Norway @ 635 per 1,000 people or 3,416,216 vehicles vs. USA @ 831 per 1,000 people or 275,913,237 vehicles


IN SHORT
The DC powered Eco-Freaks need to decide where the Electricity is coming from and start building NOW:
Posted by NN2N1 2023-05-12 14:05||   2023-05-12 14:05|| Front Page Top

#11 Transport in Norway is highly influenced by Norway's low population density, narrow shape and long coastline.
Posted by Skidmark 2023-05-12 14:08||   2023-05-12 14:08|| Front Page Top

#12 Guess we need a Secretary of Transportation.
Posted by Skidmark 2023-05-12 14:09||   2023-05-12 14:09|| Front Page Top

#13 ^^^ Excellent cartoon! Hits the problem right on the nose!
Posted by Tom 2023-05-12 15:23||   2023-05-12 15:23|| Front Page Top

#14 I note from checking stats that the snowplows and buses are still diesel. They gotta work.
Posted by ed in texas 2023-05-12 18:43||   2023-05-12 18:43|| Front Page Top

#15 NN

in 2022, hydroelectric generation was up by about 4% from 2021.

it is true that no new big plants are coming on line and also true that small plants are being decommissioned

but the total amount is fairly stable and determined largely by the amount of precipitation in the basins served by the largest dams, e.g., Grand Coolie, John Day. Most of the biggest electric producers are in the NW of the US.
Posted by lord garth 2023-05-12 19:31||   2023-05-12 19:31|| Front Page Top

#16 I have no links but here in the Northeast there was a proposal to bring in electricity here from Hydro Quebec (or some such - sue me 'cuz I'm a few beers in on an empty stomach right now) and it got shot down by the usual suspects.
Posted by Raj 2023-05-12 21:11||   2023-05-12 21:11|| Front Page Top

20:17 SteveS
18:44 magpie
18:44 magpie
18:33 Frank G
18:33 badanov
18:26 Hellfish
18:23 Hellfish
17:40 swksvolFF
17:34 Ebbuger Whuque4103
17:30 Ebbuger Whuque4103
17:02 Melancholic
16:27 Gravilet Snanter4154
16:20 Chaise Speaking for Boskone7897
16:02 Skidmark
16:01 Skidmark
15:46 Skidmark
15:41 Skidmark
15:37 swksvolFF
15:36 Skidmark
15:34 Skidmark
15:27 Skidmark
14:48 NoMoreBS
14:31 NoMoreBS
14:16 NoMoreBS









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