Electric cars take two-thirds of Norway car market, led by Tesla

FILE PHOTO: Tesla electric cars are seen in the dealer's showroom in Oslo, Norway March 28, 2019. REUTERS/Lefteris Karagiannopoulos

OSLO (Reuters) - The sale of electric cars in Norway rose last year by 48%, ensuring that almost two out of every three new automobiles were battery powered and making Texas-based Tesla Inc the top selling brand.

Seeking to become the first nation to end the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2025, oil-producing Norway exempts battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from taxes imposed on rivals using internal combusion engines (ICE).