It's rare to see victory laps being taken in the fight against climate change but guests at a €660 ($687) a head electric vehicle bash in Oslo this spring are told it will be "time to celebrate" a national milestone.
Guests from International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol to prominent guitarist Happy Tom will, if predictions come true, hear how Norway has become the first country to sell only electric cars new. The 2025 target was once thought "utter madness" but now "we are confident that we will reach the goal", a brochure says.
The rise has been rapid. In 2010, fewer than one in 350 new cars sold in Norway was electric. By 2020 it was a majority, and in 2024 zero-emission cars made up 88 per cent of new sales. A new electric Toyota Urban Cruiser is tipped to lead the final push for 100 per cent, squeezing out its last petrol stablemate.
"This car will be very important in reaching 100 per cent electric car sales in Norway," according to Rune Nesheim of Norway's Electric Vehicle Association, who said Toyota dominates what remains of petrol car sales. Even a small Yaris "will appear unnaturally expensive next to the Urban Cruiser", he said.
Chinese cars have also begun to penetrate the market as Norway takes a more relaxed view than EU neighbours on the threat to Europe's auto industry. Chinese-owned brands such as MG, BYD and XPeng boosted sales in Norway by two thirds in 2024 while market leaders Tesla saw a slight drop.
How has Norway done it? One reason is that Norway's oil and gas revenue pays for tax incentives, such as a VAT exemption for electric cars unless they are worth more than 500,000 crowns ($44,000). There is a carbon tax on oil, and a surplus of electricity to go around thanks to Norway's hydroelectric dams.
The tax breaks will cost the government an estimated 50 billion crowns ($4.41 billion) in 2025, but its fossil fuel revenue will be much higher. The government's "main goal remains to ensure that choosing an EV is an attractive and economically viable choice for consumers", the Transport Ministry says.
Norway's public sector has been required to buy electric since 2022, and battery-powered cars are often allowed to drive in bus lanes. And Norwegian roads have more than 9,000 electric charging points, again putting them top of the league in Europe.
European downturn
It is not that electric cars are enjoying a boom across Europe. "The honest assessment must be that the transition is not going to plan", said Luca de Meo, the head of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association. In its latest monthly figures, battery-powered vehicle sales were down 5.4 per cent year on year.
The drop was especially stark in the European Union's two biggest markets, Germany and France, which both saw a decline of more than 20 per cent in battery-electric vehicle registrations. The electric market share across the EU (Norway is not a member) was just 13.4 per cent, another clear fall.
The Nordic countries dominate Europe's electric car league table, with the Netherlands, Belgium and Romania also scoring highly. Germany and France have the most in absolute terms but are in the middle of the pack when ranked by percentage of electric car sales. The flagship German car industry is under threat from cheap Chinese models and a limp economy is also blamed for the downturn.
Four rounds of strikes at Volkswagen have added to a German winter of discontent as the company considers closing factories in its native country for the first time. There are uncertainties to be ironed out about whether EU rules kicking in from 2035 will allow the burning of synthetic fuels, or just batteries.
Manufacturers "have pledged €250 billion ($259.68 billion) into the green mobility transition and, just like everyone else, we want this to succeed", Mr De Meo said. He said they risk losing €16 billion ($16.61 billion) by selling cars at a lost or paying penalties for missed EU targets.
Norway is less concerned though because its cars are not manufactured at home and sees no need to follow the EU in imposing tariffs on Chinese cars. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store spoke of "opportunities for co-operation between our environmental industries" on an autumn visit to Beijing.
Still, not everybody in Norway is happy. The right-wing Progress Party, which has leapt to the top of opinion polls before a 2025 election, is pressing for sales of petrol and diesel-powered cars to continue. "We will not force drivers to buy cars that do not work for them," its transport policy spokesman Frank Sve said.
The party wants to halve the tax on fuel that ministers credit with boosting electric vehicle sales. Although electric cars were the overwhelming majority of new models sold in 2024, they are only 29 per cent of all the cars on Norway's roads.
Norway is a major oil and gas exporter and intends to remain one, which has opened up its electric vehicle drive to accusations of greenwashing. Despite its green motoring, Norway's per capita greenhouse gas emissions are higher than those of France, Spain, Portugal or Sweden.
Activists at the recent Cop29 climate summit in Azerbaijan put Norway in the same boat as the UN and Russia as they condemned it for issuing new drilling licenses in the Arctic. Others say the government can go further still on electric cars. A left-wing party that tolerates Mr Store's government wants an additional tax break on the sale of used electric vehicles.
But there are parts of Norway where the 100 per cent target has already been reached. They include fairly remote northern areas far away from Oslo, showing that fears of batteries running out in rural areas are "simply wrong", according to the Electric Vehicle Association.
At the Oslo summit in April "we will take stock and ask how on earth did we do it, and how fast can the rest of the world follow?", organisers say. "And let’s not forget: It is time to celebrate!".
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How to help
Call the hotline on 0502955999 or send "thenational" to the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
2252 - Dh50
6025 - Dh20
6027 - Dh100
6026 - Dh200
Everton 1 Stoke City 0
Everton (Rooney 45 1')
Man of the Match Phil Jagielka (Everton)
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
ENGLAND TEAM
England (15-1)
George Furbank; Jonny May, Manu Tuilagi, Owen Farrell (capt), Elliot Daly; George Ford, Ben Youngs; Tom Curry, Sam Underhill, Courtney Lawes; Charlie Ewels, Maro Itoje; Kyle Sinckler, Jamie George, Joe Marler
Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Ellis Genge, Will Stuart, George Kruis, Lewis Ludlam, Willi Heinz, Ollie Devoto, Jonathan Joseph
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
FA Cup fifth round
Chelsea v Manchester United, Monday, 11.30pm (UAE), BeIN Sports
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance: the specs
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 plus rear-mounted electric motor
Power: 843hp at N/A rpm
Torque: 1470Nm N/A rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.6L/100km
On sale: October to December
Price: From Dh875,000 (estimate)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
SHOW COURTS ORDER OF PLAY
Centre Court (4pm UAE/12pm GMT)
Victoria Azarenka (BLR) v Heather Watson (GBR)
Rafael Nadal (ESP x4) v Karen Khachanov (RUS x30)
Andy Murray (GBR x1) v Fabio Fognini (ITA x28)
Court 1 (4pm UAE)
Steve Johnson (USA x26) v Marin Cilic (CRO x7)
Johanna Konta (GBR x6) v Maria Sakkari (GRE)
Naomi Osaka (JPN) v Venus Williams (USA x10)
Court 2 (2.30pm UAE)
Aljaz Bedene (GBR) v Gilles Muller (LUX x16)
Peng Shuai (CHN) v Simona Halep (ROM x2)
Jelena Ostapenko (LAT x13) v Camila Giorgi (ITA)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x12) v Sam Querrey (USA x24)
Court 3 (2.30pm UAE)
Kei Nishikori (JPN x9) v Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP x18)
Carina Witthoeft (GER) v Elina Svitolina (UKR x4)
Court 12 (2.30pm UAE)
Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x8) v Ana Konjuh (CRO x27)
Kevin Anderson (RSA) v Ruben Bemelmans (BEL)
Court 18 (2.30pm UAE)
Caroline Garcia (FRA x21) v Madison Brengle (USA)
Benoit Paire (FRA) v Jerzy Janowicz (POL)