Petrol vehicles are expected to be banned from zero emission zones across Norway in cities where only zero emission vehicles will be permitted.
The move comes as part of the Government's push to encourage sales of electric vans and trucks, and improve air quality.
Transport Minister Jon-Ivar Nygård said the Norwegian Government planned to push through laws allowing cities to establish these restricted areas.
Norway already leads the world in electric car adoption, with 96 per cent of new vehicles registered last month being battery-powered.
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The Government has asked Norway's Public Roads Administration to draft legislation that would enable cities to establish these "zero emission zones" as soon as possible.
Mr Nygård highlighted that electrification in goods and commercial transport "has not progressed as far as for passenger cars".
The statistics support his concern, with seven in 10 vans sold in Norway still powered by diesel.
The new initiative aims to address this imbalance by creating zones that would encourage commercial fleet operators to switch to zero-emission vehicles.
These zones would restrict access to only electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles, potentially with some exceptions for passenger cars.
Three cities - Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim - have requested new powers to introduce these zero emission zones.
Oslo is already pushing ahead with a "car-free liveability" programme to gradually shift away from motor vehicles.
This includes removing hundreds of parking spaces across the Norwegian capital, which has previously stated that it wants to ban petrol vehicles as soon as this year.
Opposition parties have criticised the Labour Government's plans for zero emission zones, saying it would make people's lives more difficult.
Trygve Slagsvold Vedum of the Centre Party told Norwegian broadcaster NRK he was concerned that people with petrol or diesel cars would be "shut out".
The Progress Party has also voiced opposition to the plans, describing it as tokenism rather than environmental policy.
Norway's market share of electric vehicles has also shifted dramatically in recent years, with Tesla seeing its split fall from 20 per cent in 2023, before dropping to 18.9 per cent in 2024 and 8.8 per cent in the year-to-date this year.
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A leading industry group, the Norwegian Road Federation (OFV), has questioned whether Tesla will recapture its former position.
A spokesperson for the organisation said: "The brand has had a unique market position in Norway for several years. Whether that will continue is uncertain, because there is a lot of unrest and noise around Tesla and Elon Musk."
Tesla faces several challenges, including an ageing vehicle lineup, as it prepares to introduce an upgraded Model Y in Europe soon.
Find Out More...
The move comes as part of the Government's push to encourage sales of electric vans and trucks, and improve air quality.
Transport Minister Jon-Ivar Nygård said the Norwegian Government planned to push through laws allowing cities to establish these restricted areas.
Norway already leads the world in electric car adoption, with 96 per cent of new vehicles registered last month being battery-powered.
Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]
The Government has asked Norway's Public Roads Administration to draft legislation that would enable cities to establish these "zero emission zones" as soon as possible.
Mr Nygård highlighted that electrification in goods and commercial transport "has not progressed as far as for passenger cars".
The statistics support his concern, with seven in 10 vans sold in Norway still powered by diesel.
The new initiative aims to address this imbalance by creating zones that would encourage commercial fleet operators to switch to zero-emission vehicles.
These zones would restrict access to only electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles, potentially with some exceptions for passenger cars.
Three cities - Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim - have requested new powers to introduce these zero emission zones.
Oslo is already pushing ahead with a "car-free liveability" programme to gradually shift away from motor vehicles.
This includes removing hundreds of parking spaces across the Norwegian capital, which has previously stated that it wants to ban petrol vehicles as soon as this year.
Opposition parties have criticised the Labour Government's plans for zero emission zones, saying it would make people's lives more difficult.
Trygve Slagsvold Vedum of the Centre Party told Norwegian broadcaster NRK he was concerned that people with petrol or diesel cars would be "shut out".
The Progress Party has also voiced opposition to the plans, describing it as tokenism rather than environmental policy.
Norway's market share of electric vehicles has also shifted dramatically in recent years, with Tesla seeing its split fall from 20 per cent in 2023, before dropping to 18.9 per cent in 2024 and 8.8 per cent in the year-to-date this year.
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A leading industry group, the Norwegian Road Federation (OFV), has questioned whether Tesla will recapture its former position.
A spokesperson for the organisation said: "The brand has had a unique market position in Norway for several years. Whether that will continue is uncertain, because there is a lot of unrest and noise around Tesla and Elon Musk."
Tesla faces several challenges, including an ageing vehicle lineup, as it prepares to introduce an upgraded Model Y in Europe soon.
Find Out More...