Norway's Electric Vehicle Association (EVA) announced on Monday that 58.4 percent of new cars sold in March were battery-powered.

The country, which is one of the world's largest oil and gas producers, actively encourages drivers to buy electric cars as part of an effort to reduce carbon emissions and fight climate change.

In order to boost sales of electric vehicles (EVs), the Scandinavian nation has waived registration and sales taxes for buyers, who do not pay road tolls and can use bus lanes.

Read more: Oslo: Europe's eco capital 2019

The world's greenest cities Copenhagen, Denmark Copenhagen wants to become the world's first carbon-neutral capital by 2025. Since 1995, it has reduced its carbon emissions by half. It stands out for its efforts on sustainable mobility, with large car-free zones, high quality public transport and impressive cycling facilities. District heating and cooling systems – some of which use cold seawater – do their bit to reduce emissions, too.

The world's greenest cities Reykjavik, Iceland The Icelandic capital already has a renewable supply of heat and electricity – mainly from hydropower and geothermal. An impressive 95 percent of homes are connected to the district heating network. The city is also aiming to make all public transport fossil-free by 2040 and strongly encourages residents to do without their cars.

The world's greenest cities Curitiba, Brazil In Brazil's eighth biggest city, around 60 percent of the population relies on the urban bus network. They also have 250 kilometers of bike lines at their disposal, as well as the country's first major pedestrianized street, Rua das Flores. Curitiba's green belt provides natural protection against flooding. But its rapid population growth is putting its green ambitions under pressure.

The world's greenest cities San Francisco, United States In 2016, San Francisco passed a law that all new buildings must set aside space for rooftop photovoltaic systems – the first major US city to do so. Plastic bags have been banned since 2007, and it introduced an urban food waste program in 2009. Now, it plans to go waste-free by 2020. Plus, the majority of its buses and light rails are zero-emission.

The world's greenest cities Frankfurt, Germany Germany's financial center was one of the first cities to adopt a roadmap towards a 100 percent renewable energy supply by 2050. New buildings must follow strict guidelines on energy efficiency. Controversial materials like PVC are forbidden, and it has drastically reduced its waste, thanks to a modern waste management system. Frankfurt also has ambitious plans for e-mobility.

The world's greenest cities Vancouver, Canada Vancouver is trying to become the world's greenest city by 2020. By then, it seeks to reduce carbon emissions by 33 percent compared to 2007. The city's electricity comes almost entirely from hydroelectric dams, but it still needs to move away from natural gas and oil for heating and transportation. The goal is to reduce per-capita ecological footprint by 33 percent.

The world's greenest cities Kigali, Rwanda Kigali has been described as Africa's cleanest city. It's planning to develop pedestrian and cycling corridors. Plastic bags are banned and citizens spend a day each month cleaning up the city, where it's rare to find litter. However, human rights groups have denounced the high price of this "cleanliness," which they say is as an excuse to impose a discriminatory control over the population.

The world's greenest cities Ljubljana, Slovenia The European Green Capital 2016 gets all its electricity from hydropower. It has a strong focus on public transport, pedestrian and cycling networks, and has banned cars from its city center. It was the first European city to aim for zero waste, and already recycles over 60 percent – one of the highest rates in Europe. Author: Irene Banos Ruiz



Key points in the figures are:

Last year, EV sales rose to 31.2 percent of Norway's car market share.

The 2018 figure was up from the previous year's 20.8 percent.

March 2019's "historically high" figure was driven by new EV models.

Deliveries of Tesla's Model 3 and Audi's e-tron SUV increased sales.

Nissan's Leaf electric car was the top-selling car in Norway last year. The Tesla Model 3 was the biggest seller in March. Tesla sold 5,822 cars, corresponding to a 31.7 percent market share.

Read more: Every third new car in Norway powered entirely by battery

Green credentials

March's EV sales follow a trend set by Oslo. DW Norway correspondent Lars Bevanger reported more than half of all new cars sold there are electric.

"There are trams, electric buses and ferries, all running on renewable hydro-electric power. During the very cold winters much of the housing here is kept warm from heat generated at a waste incinerator plant. The city has set itself ambitious goals: to cut emissions by 36 percent by the end of next year, and 95 percent by 2030."

Norway wants to have all new cars in the Scandinavian country be electric by 2025.

Read more: Could oil nation Norway help save the climate?

kw/jm (AP, AFP, Reuters)

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