Last Updated on: 4th August 2025, 04:08 pm
July saw plugin EVs take a record 98.2% share in Norway, up from 94.3% year on year. BEVs alone took 97.2% share, a new record high. Overall auto volume was 9,563 units, up 48% YoY. The Tesla Model Y was the best-selling vehicle.
July’s auto market saw combined EVs take a record 98.2% share in Norway, comprising 97.2% full electrics (BEVs) and 1.1% plugin hybrids (PHEVs). These compare with YoY figures of 94.3% combined, 91.9% BEV and 2.4% PHEV.
The record share for BEVs accompanies the highest July auto volume since 2021, a good result all around. The new tax policy on other powertrains seems to be working to dampen demand for anything other than BEVs. Of the remainder, fortunately, PHEVs (albeit just 1.1% of new sales) have now returned to being favoured over diesel-only vehicles (0.9%) and HEVs (0.6%). Petrol-only sales are now almost gone, at 0.3% share, and just 25 units in July. Put differently, only 1.8% of newly sold cars cannot do most of their driving on renewable electricity!
The strong July volume was helped by the late-June lowering of interest rates to 4.25% with a further lowering possible in the months ahead, according to the Norwegian OFV. Stronger than usual volumes of new cars being sold (now effectively all BEVs) help to speed the fleet transition, and thus boost all-electric driving, cutting the use of road fuels. See last month’s report for the latest fleet transition data.
Best-Selling Models
Following its huge June result, the Tesla Model Y was again the best-selling vehicle in July, though with a more modest 715 units. The Skoda Enyaq came in second with 586 units, and the Volkswagen ID. Buzz came third with 464 units.
Despite July 2025 being a relatively healthy month compared to seasonal norms, July is habitually far quieter than June, which is typically one of the biggest volume months of the year. Most models therefore saw volumes significantly cool month-on-month. The only exceptions in the top 20 were the Skoda Enyaq, Xpeng G6, MG S5, and Mercedes EQB. The MG S5, which only launched in February, was the biggest gainer, reaching a new high of 196 units (and the 17th spot), from 148 units in June (and the 29th spot).
Of the other recent newcomers, the Skoda Elroq continued to climb, though not as dramatically as in some other European markets. It reached a personal best of 238 units (and 13th) in July, though only modestly climbing from its 208 unit average over the previous 3 months. The Zeekr 7X also stood out, now at a personal best 87 units (and 33rd), from its April debut.
The Renault 5, which launched in February, continued to climb, reaching 96 units in July (and ranking 30th). The Hyundai Inster (which had been ahead of the R5 in June) cooled off to 53 units in July, likely due to irregular batch shipping from Korea. The Citroen e-C3 has been cooling since its peak of 173 units in April, down to 30 units in July.
The new Nio Firefly debuted in July, with 6 initial units, though these are only dealer units for now. Test drives will begin “later this summer” and customer deliveries in “the Autumn.” The Firefly is a B-segment hatchback (4003 mm in length), but pricing has not yet been set. It is supposed to be a premium offering, so we will have to wait and see if it can become a true volume competitor to the likes of the Renault 5 and Hyundai Inster.
As a side note — whilst we are focusing on the A- and B-segment newcomers — the BYD Dolphin Surf has not yet launched in Norway, despite already having clocked up around 2,700 deliveries elsewhere in Europe (and being Spain’s second best selling BEV in July).
Another July debutant was the Hyundai Ioniq 9, a three-row SUV which shares its platform with the Kia EV9. It saw 41 initial units and is priced from 699,000 NOK (€58,900). It offers another “people hauler” option, but will likely struggle to approach the established popularity of the VW ID. Buzz.
Here’s a look at the trailing 3-month volumes:
With its huge June volumes, and a decent May, the Tesla Model Y still has a massive lead over all others. A long way back, the Toyota BZ4X took second spot, also thanks to decent volumes in May and June. The VW ID. Buzz took third.
The biggest climber in the top 20 was the BYD Sealion, now in 7th place, from 20th three months prior (and 8th in June’s trailing-3-month chart). As expected, the Skoda Elroq has now entered the top 20, in 19th place, and should stay around and perhaps climb higher. The Xpeng G6 has been hovering around 20th spot, having dipped out in the June chart (from 20th in May). Based on its July growth, it may still have further to climb.
The next potential candidate is the MG S5 (now in 25th), which may join the top 20 within the next month or two if it can maintain its recent trajectory.
Outlook
The BEV transition is effectively “mission complete” in Norway, and the speed at which the old fleet of ICE vehicles gets retired and replaced now becomes the next goal to aim for (see last month’s report for a fleet update). With July’s auto volumes growing some 48% YoY, there’s potential for the fleet transition to move along faster than the historical fleet turnover rate, particularly if more affordable models keep coming. After all, if your next car is cheaper, and gives significant running-cost savings compared to your old ICE car, and you’re going to be upgrading to a BEV at some point anyway, why not make the switch sooner rather than later (even if you go via the used market)?
As mentioned above, recently trimmed interest rates (and the prospect of more on the way) are helping car buying sentiment. The latest macroeconomic data is still that from Q1, which showed a negative 0.4% YoY GDP drop. The economy is, however, currently in transition and is expected to return to modest growth later this year, despite a slight dip in consumer confidence over Q2.
Headline inflation remains at 3%, and interest rates are at 4.25%. Manufacturing PMI improved to 50.9 points in July, from 49.3 points in June.
What new models have a chance to make a splash in Norway? What will be the monthly BEV share by the time we get to December? Is there a chance it will hit 98% or more? Please share your thoughts and perspectives in the comments below.
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