OSLO -- The perks of owning an electric car in Norway -- one of the world's largest markets for electric cars -- are mostly enjoyed by the richest.

That's according to a study released by Statistics Norway on Thursday, revealing that the likelihood of buying an electric car in Norway is almost double if you belong to the richest section of the population.

In the first half, 45 percent of all cars sold in the market were electric, up from a 31 percent share in 2018, according to recent data released by the Norwegian Information Council for Road Traffic (OFV).

Sales were boosted by the introduction of the Tesla Model 3, which accounted for 14 percent of all new cars registered in the first six months, the OFV said.

Much of the success of electric vehicles in Norway is owed to generous tax incentives and exemptions from various fees. The surge in electric car sales even resulted in a shortfall in automobile taxes of about 3 billion kroner ($335 million) in this year's budget.