April’s vehicle registration figures reveal a widening gap between Nordic countries on electric vehicle adoption. While Norway and Denmark are approaching near-total EV dominance, Sweden’s slower transition underscores the limits of its policy approach.
Norway’s dominance deepens
Norway has effectively sealed the fate of the combustion engine. With electric vehicles accounting for 98.6 percent of new car sales in April, the country now sells barely a handful of petrol cars each month—just 31 units out of more than 11,000 new vehicles. The question there is no longer whether EVs will win, but how quickly the remaining gas cars disappear.
Geir Inge Stokke, director of Norway’s Road Traffic Information Council, points to a consistent pattern: “When EV market share exceeds 95 percent across all regions, there is no longer doubt that Norwegians generally choose electric when buying new vehicles.” Price competitiveness, mature battery technology, and widespread charging infrastructure have made the shift inevitable.
Denmark’s rapid ascent—with caveats
Denmark has followed closely behind. In April, private car buyers in Denmark chose electric vehicles 96.3 percent of the time—the highest recorded share on record. Even across all segments, including fleet sales, the country reached 81.9 percent, climbing rapidly from much lower levels a year ago. Today, electric cars represent 21 percent of all registered vehicles on Danish roads.
Yet Denmark’s momentum may prove fragile. Beginning in 2027, the government will phase out tax incentives that have made electric vehicles significantly cheaper than petrol cars. Mads Rørvig, CEO of Mobility Danmark, warns that this rollback threatens to slow the rush toward electrification: “The phase-out of EV tax benefits from 2027 will make them significantly more expensive, limiting ordinary Danes’ ability to choose electric.” Industry advocates are calling for a new tax framework that keeps EV registration fees competitive.
Sweden’s lagging transition
Sweden, by contrast, appears stuck in a slower lane. While the country did post gains in April—reaching 42 percent EV market share—the progress pales against its Nordic neighbors. Sweden trails not only Denmark and Norway but also Finland, which hit 48.8 percent.
Adding to the puzzle is the role of a new Swedish government subsidy program for rural and low-income EV buyers. In April alone, authorities approved 2,500 claims through the scheme. Yet without clarity on how many of those approvals translate to new EV sales versus used cars, the true strength of Sweden’s electric transition remains unclear. This ambiguity raises a critical question: how much of Sweden’s 42 percent share is genuine market momentum, and how much depends on temporary government support?
