Norway Liberal Party wants electric car predictability

Deputy party leader Ola Elvestuen tells NTB, “this will create confidence in the market, and thus contribute to increased supply, demand and industrial development associated with electric cars and other zero emissions vehicles.”

Mr Elvestuen, Oslo city councillor for transport and the environment, thinks Labour (Ap) Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg is too vague regarding the future of tax exemptions.

He cites Stoltenberg’s recent question time statement that taxes will be “extremely low”. The Liberals fear the imprecise remark was due to Ministry of Finance opposition to the move.

Benefits include exemptions for new passenger vehicle tax, annual road tax, road tolls, as well as free parking. There are currently an estimated 5,000 rechargeable cars on Norwegian roads.

“The Prime Minister’s views about extremely low taxes have already been released. We believe uncertainty surrounding the government's tax policies on cars should mean that via this broad agreement, Parliament decides the benefits will continue until there are at least 100,000 zero-emission vehicles on the roads,” says Mr Elvestuen.