While joining the Nordic EV Summit in Oslo in April 2025, I decided to take the opportunity and speak to Christina Bu, Secretary General of the Norwegian EV Association (Elbil). She is considered to be the architect behind Norway’s EV success and she has every reason to be proud of the achievements in the Scandinavian country.

Michael: Thanks Christina for taking the time to talk. It’s always great interviewing you here in MOTION Magazine, however our last talk already dates back to 2021. Hence this is a good time to see what has happened since then. But first things first: how are you and could you please tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Christina: Hi Michael, great to have a chat after all these months. You are right, a lot has happened since 2021. The Norwegian EV Association now has over 120,000 members, we have become a Mobility Service Provider (MSP) offering our members a really good charging solution and we have made sure Norway pretty much has reached a very important climate goal – practically all new cars sold this year are fully electric. So, this year we are celebrating how political measures truly can drive change. 

Michael: So, you have been with the EV Association for almost eleven years now and in November last year you were named as one of the World’s 100 Climate Leaders by TIME Magazine. How does that feel?

Christina: While Norway is a wealthy country capable of funding progressive initiatives such as the transformation to EVs, there have been constant political efforts to eliminate them. The reason these incentives remain in place is largely due to Elbil's continuous opposition. In many other countries, powerful forces with a vested interest in halting rapid EV development often dominate the conversation, while there aren't enough influential voices to present the opposing viewpoint. We've always been there, in every debate and budget negotiation, presenting the facts and figures from the other side. 

Michael: How did you make this change happen? Could you name the most important measures?

Christina: I think it is important to keep reminding politicians that electrifying transport is necessary if we are to cut emissions in time, and that it is not as difficult as many think. We have the technology, and we know what to do, so everyone should just start doing it. Facing a climate crisis, we can’t continue selling and buying new cars that cannot run on renewables much longer. To stop that we need to make it more expensive to buy new petrol and diesel cars and at the same time promote fully electric cars. Using green taxes this way is a good way to change the status quo. Both because it works, but also because taxing cars that are not yet purchased is a fair way to implement climate policies.

Michael: Christina, your team at Elbil has also worked tirelessly to simplify EV charging as a vital element to the EV success in your country, can you give us a few examples? 

Christina: Sure Michael, for instance, in 2017, we successfully fought for the "right to charge" for apartment residents – and we were able to establish this right across Norway. In 2022, our team launched an all-in-one charging card and app, providing members of our Association with easy access to more than 300,000 charging stations across Europe. Additionally, due to Elbil's lobbying efforts, the government passed a mandate last year requiring all new fast chargers to accept credit card payments. 

Michael: When we look at the skepticism in most European countries – how can we address this negative attitude?

Christina: There hasn’t been less skepticism here in Norway! But we worked around it by using smart political measures and by helping consumers make the change. The EU supply side policies have been and are extremely important, but a lot more can be done to speed up the transition in different European countries by using additional measures directed at consumers. In 2014, electric vehicles accounted for 13 percent of new car sales here in Norway, and this year we have reached 95 to 100 percent.

Governments around the world should all do the same: Set a clear and ambitious goal for when 100 percent of new vehicle sales should be zero-emission, first for cars and then for trucks. After that they should present their action plan on how to reach these goals. Politicians carry great responsibility, and they are the ones who need to guide consumers and industry forward. We don’t have time for wavering and unclear messaging, because it is extremely important that action is taken now. Furthermore, I think it is important that people start experiencing that a low-emission society is a good society, and that electric transportation works well. Come to Norway and see it yourself if you don’t believe me.

Michael: We are approaching the Nordic EV Summit 2025? Can you give our readers a bit of background on this international event?

Christina: On April 9-10 this year, we and the Nordic EV Summit invited everyone to Oslo to celebrate Norway's achievement of the ambitious goal that 100% of new cars sold in 2025 will be zero-emission vehicles. You’ll have the chance to meet the entire electric mobility industry for discussions, sharing insights, and exchanging inspiration. It will be a fascinating event and a wonderful celebration. It is just very special to have so many industry insiders here in Oslo and to exchange best practice with them in the transformation towards a more sustainable mobility.

Thank you, Christina, for speaking to us and we look forward to the next targets for Norway when it comes to smart mobility changes.

Photo Copyright: Jamieson Pothecary