The plan was submitted by Socialist Left Party and the country's Finance Minister, Kristin Halvorsen. According to the provisions of this soon to be law, new gasoline powered car sales will no longer be allowed in Norway. Cars already registered will not be affected by the law and neither will be hybrids.
"The financial crisis also means that a lot of those car producers that now have big problems ... know that they have to develop their technology because we also have to solve the climate crisis when this financial crisis is over," Halvorsen was quoted as saying by Reuters.
However, the law is heavily contested by the country's opposing parties. After all, Norway is one of the most important oil suppliers, thanks to its large petroleum and natural gas resources. In addition, the proposed law has spawned protests from all over the country. In response, Kristin Halvorsen says the law and its purpose have been misunderstood.
"We know that the world will be dependent on oil and gas for many decades ahead but we have to introduce new technologies and this is a proposal to support that," she said. "A lot of people thought that this proposal also would go after the cars we already have. That is not the case, it's the new cars that are bought after 2015."
As a side story, you should know that the Scandinavian country already has an alternative fuel powered car program. Called HyNor, the program plans on developing, as a first step, a 580 kilometer stretch of highway, between Stavanger and Oslo, fitted with hydrogen refueling stations.
Will this initiative be a success? It remains to be seen. If you want to have a say in it, check out our poll on the homepage.
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