Norway recently became the first nation in the world where electric cars outnumber gasoline-powered ones. Over the past decade, the European country has been encouraging citizens to switch to electric vehicles (EVs) to help the environment.
Cars that burn gasoline—a chemical made from oil, a fossil fuel—emit greenhouse gases. These gases trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere, causing climate change. EVs run on batteries, so they don’t spew greenhouse gases as they’re driven. Even when the electricity that powers EVs comes from fossil fuels, they still produce fewer emissions than gas-powered cars.
To motivate people to buy EVs, Norway eliminated taxes on the cars, lowered toll and parking fees for those with EVs, and allows owners to drive in bus lanes.