Norway promotes the use of electric cars

…by waiving the usual 25% sales tax, as well as registration fees, when someone purchases an electric car. And, once the new owner is driving his car, he gets to use the bus lanes on the expressways, and is exempt from road tolls.

In a country where the vast majority of electricity is produced by totally-clean hydroelectric generating plants, this is definitely a way to improve air quality. However, there is now a question as to whether the Norwegian government can really afford this sweet deal for the owners of electric cars.

Interesting that the 8th largest exporter of crude oil, refined oil and natural gas is making the operation of electric cars essentially free.

Also nice when you CAN produce all your energy with hydroelectric power. It isn’t practical or even politically possible (save the salmon!!) in places that could use it.

Yeah this was on 60 minutes. Around here, certain conservation groups have been targeting dams in rivers that produce electricity as an environmental problem. I guess this is next. Some folks will never be satisfied until we are back living in caves with the bears. Just remember here in the US we have more oil than electrical generating capacity and with the war on coal now, hydro power, and nuclear, I don’t think that will change. 25% sales tax? Coming to a theater near you. We just can’t help the monkey see monkey do syndrome of following Europe.

I Live In The Middle Of No Where And I Have A Small HE Dam Within 10 Miles Of My Location.

The dam’s been making electricity since about 1902, but environmental nut jobs want it removed. Dams at locations a little farther away have been torn out, sometimes with dire unintended consequences.

One tear-out project didn’t go quite right and caused extensive flooding of homes and environmental damage, devalued water-front homes, and was just flat-out stupid. Government EPA and DEQ geniuses were over-seeing the project.

Nearly 70% of my household electricity comes from coal. Oh, the Feds are after that, too.

CSA

Pull-quote:

So many have come [to electric cars], the government will start phasing out the subsidies...

We’ll be able to hear the squawking from here…

In a country where the vast majority of electricity is produced by totally-clean hydroelectric generating plants, this is definitely a way to improve air quality.

Norway has an air quality problem?

I’m not a “global warming” fanatic, but I do support energy autonomy and would not want to see anyone polluting the environment as badly as many (particularly industries) were doing prior to the Clean Air and Water Act. I like a lot of what I see Norway doing. I also like what I see going on in Germany as regards home heating and cooling. German homes now are built hyper-efficient and environmentally inert (relatively) using approaches that we’re not using yet (This Old House did a show on it). We could learn a lot from Norway and Germany.

The bulk of the burden in the U.S. is placed on privately owned autos, and that simply ain’t fair… and IMHO no longer productive. Since the cost of these mandates has driven the cost of new cars higher, preventing people driving old cars from buying new cars, it could even be argued that current mandates are COUNTERproductive.

“I’m not a “global warming” fanatic, but I do support energy autonomy”

In related news, the USA is the “Saudi Arabia of coal.”

“it could even be argued that current mandates are COUNTERproductive.”

Well, we modify old, polluting cars…because we can. Modern cars aren’t so easy, legally. That drives the industry to hot-rod the dirtiest possible cars. (Unintended consequences FTW!)