Taycan

Make
Porsche
Segment
Sedan

As far as electric vehicles go, the Porsche Taycan is up there with the best of them. It's a massively capable car, melding performance, efficiency, and Germanic precision in a luxurious package. In fact, it recently made history, traveling from Los Angeles to New York with a total charging time of just two hours, 26 minutes, and 48 seconds. But with a starting price of $82,700, it's not exactly cheap, making it the reserve of wealthier customers worldwide.

Yet, in Norway, the battery-powered Porsche outsold every non-electric car combined.

This is according to the Norwegian Road Federation, which reports a staggering 83.7% of all new vehicles sold in the country were electric, with only one combustion-engined car slipping into the top 20 best-selling list. A total of 181 Taycans were delivered in January, with just 175 gas- and diesel-powered vehicles sold collectively in the same period.

While Norway's market is considerably different from the USA, it's quite astonishing to think about a high-priced Porsche outselling each and every gas-powered car combined. Imagine a $100,000 electric sports sedan outselling every single Toyota RAV4, Camry, and Accord, and the sales feat is put into context. It will take our market some time to catch up to Norway, where two-thirds of all cars sold last year were electric.

An interesting omission from the best-sellers is Tesla. As the country's road federation notes, the Model 3 was Norway's most popular car last year and yet, it didn't manage to crack a spot on the top 20 list. This hasn't got to do with Tesla's becoming unfashionable, though. January 2022 sales were around 30% lower when compared to the same period in 2021. This is likely down to reduced shipments of new vehicles, explaining why the most affordable Tesla sat in just 48th place.

The forward-thinking country wants to ban all gas- and diesel-powered cars in the next three years. The country's unique tax system and numerous incentives make buying an electric car a no-brainer. What's more, Norway's charging infrastructure is considered to be one of the best in the world, with more than 16,000 charging stations dotted across the country. While that's far less than the USA, the population is considerably smaller than ours.

It's remarkable to think that a pricey luxury car has outsold all conventional gas-powered cars. Aside from the cost associated with the Taycan, it also shows that Norwegian citizens are preparing for the future, leaving gas-powered vehicles behind. Elsewhere, including America, the electric car is still viewed with skepticism. Range anxiety, charging worries and long-distance traveling still concerns many wanting to take the plunge.