Norway is the world’s undisputed EV capital (see the current issue of Charged for a feature on EV-spotting in Oslo), and plug-in sales figures there continue to balloon. However, her Nordic neighbors present a much more mixed picture.

Sales of EV and PHEVs set a new record in the first half of 2016, according to the industry publication Insero Quarterly. 15,418 new plug-in vehicles hit the icy roads in the first half of 2016, a 30% increase over the previous year. PHEVs represent about 60% of the total.

The growth is fueled by record sales in Norway, Sweden and Finland, whereas sales in Denmark have actually shrunk.

Norway represents 75% of plug-in sales in the region. Sweden also had an impressive second quarter, as sales increased by 80% compared to 2015. Finland is just beginning to plug in – it had a record quarter, as 281 plug-in vehicles were sold.

Denmark, alas, is heading back to the 20th century – it began phasing out all EV incentives in September 2015 (and eliminated several other anti-pollution measures). In these high-tax countries, tax breaks are a big deal – Denmark’s elimination of the EV exemption means that the price of a Model S has tripled, to around $265,000. Unsurprisingly, plug-in sales have plummeted, down 60% for the second quarter of 2016.

Source: Insero
Images: Charles Morris