Incentives for promoting Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) adoption in Norway

TLDR

Norway leads globally in BEV adoption, largely due to strong incentives, and prior research confirms that upfront price reductions are the most powerful driver of electrification. This study describes the role of incentives for promoting BEVs and identifies which incentives are critical for purchase decisions and how different buyer groups respond. The authors surveyed nearly 3,400 BEV owners in Norway to answer these questions. More than 80 % of respondents cite purchase‑tax and VAT exemptions as critical, while for many others road‑toll or bus‑lane exemptions are decisive; analyses reveal distinct incentive groups by age, gender, and education, with income playing a minor role, and suggest a link between incentives and the type of transport system used.

Abstract

Norway has become a global forerunner in the field of electromobility and the BEV market share is far higher than in any other country. One likely reason for this is strong incentives for promoting purchase and ownership of BEVs. The purpose of this study is to describe the role of incentives for promoting BEVs, and to determine what incentives are critical for deciding to buy a BEV and what groups of buyers respond to different types of incentives. The questions are answered with data from a survey among nearly 3400 BEV owners in Norway. Exemptions from purchase tax and VAT are critical incentives for more than 80% of the respondents. This is very much in line with previous research, which suggests that up-front price reduction is the most powerful incentive in promoting EV adoption. To a substantial number of BEV owners, however, exemption from road tolling or bus lane access is the only decisive factor. Analyses show that there are clear delineations between incentive groups, both in terms of age, gender, and education. Income is a less prominent predictor, which probably results from the competitive price of BEVs in the Norwegian market. Perhaps most interesting is the assumed relation between incentives and character of transport systems the respondents engage in.