The sale of electric cars in Norway rose last year by 48 per cent. That ensures that almost two out of every three new automobiles were battery-powered.

Norway is seeking to become the first nation to end the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2025.  Oil-producing countries exempt battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from taxes imposed on rivals using internal combustion engines (ICE).

Tesla grabbed an 11.5 per cent share of the overall car market, making it to the first positions for the first time on a full-year basis ahead of Germany’s Volkswagen with 9.4 per cent.

The company delivered more than 308,000 vehicles in the fourth quarter and saw deliveries surge about 87 per cent. In October, the electric-vehicle maker topped $1 trillion in market cap for the first time.