Why Norwegians are buying more Chinese EVs despite growing scepticism
Electric cars account for more than 95% of new car registrations in Norway, the highest share in the world. About one in four new EVs registered there are from fully or partly Chinese-owned brands.
In Norway, electric vehicle (EV) adoption leads the world, with 97.8% of new cars registered in the first eight months of 2026. However, the growth of Chinese EV brands, such as BYD, NIO, and Dongfeng, has been met with growing scepticism. A survey by the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association (NEVA) found that 31% of EV owners would avoid buying a Chinese brand due to political concerns, up from 23% the previous year.
Security concerns have also risen, with Norwegian researchers discovering that Chinese car maker NIO transmitted data to China and that Yutong buses had their control systems accessible. Despite these issues, Chinese brands now account for about 25% of new EV registrations in Norway, up from virtually non-existent in 2019. Factors like price and technology still influence purchases, but moral dilemmas and data sharing concerns are also significant.
Norway, which leads the world in EV adoption, could become one of the first European markets where Chinese EV makers gain a dominant position. Chinese brands could overtake European brands as soon as 2027 if trends continue. However, political resistance to Tesla has decreased in Norway, with the share of respondents avoiding Tesla for political reasons falling to 24% from 43% last year.
Written by urgent.news from Euronews's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
