In our example, hybrid and petrol cars are almost 50% more expensive than their electric counterparts due to taxes. However, you can buy 3-year-old hybrid and petrol cars for the same price as new equivalent electric cars. In Germany, customers can choose their own fuel option.
Norway is different
It is difficult to explain Norwegian tax policy to people who do not live in Norway. When foreign friends comment on the high proportion of electric cars in Norway, I just nod to state that “that is just the way it is”. It is difficult to understand that a car with a hybrid drivetrain receives a tax surcharge of 60% while the same car with an electric drivetrain is almost tax-free. The large proportion of electric cars in Norway is of course the result of political control – not free choice. If someone – against all odds – wanted to buy a new petrol or diesel car, it is not certain that they will find any, either in the showrooms or in the price lists.
A limited selection
It is not only in Norway that petrol and diesel-powered models are being removed from the price lists. As car manufacturers prioritize electric models, models that use other fuel sources may disappear to free up production capacity for new electric models. Volvo, for example, has phased out the production of cars with diesel engines. Ford has ended production of the Fiesta and Focus to make room for electric models. This could prove to be a fateful choice. In Germany, sales of electric cars fell drastically in 2024 after the German authorities removed financial support for buyers of zero-emission vehicles just before the turn of the year. BMW and Mercedes-Benz have therefore chosen a different course. Although they have developed new series of electric cars, they still offer all powertrains in their model programs – even for newly developed models.
BMW a good example
On BMW's Norwegian website you will find an almost complete model range with powertrains also for fossil fuels. I have selected the iX1 and X1 models as examples to illustrate prices and availability. BMW's third generation of the X1 (U11) was launched in June 2022 as a 2023 model year. The new model received a completely new exterior design with more interior space and a completely new digital dashboard, as well as improved powertrains. In the fall of 2022, the iX1 was launched as a separate model with an electric drivetrain. But from the outside, the new X1 and iX1 are completely identical except for parts in the front, the pattern in the grille, charging hatches and fuel filling.
BMW iX1
The BMW iX1 xDrive30 has 4-wheel drive, 313 hp and a 64,8 kWh battery pack. The iX1 is also available in a slightly more affordable version with only front-wheel drive. The eDrive20 has 204 hp and the same battery pack.
BMW X1
The BMW X1 can be ordered as a plug-in hybrid or with a single petrol engine – and in Germany also as a diesel. The sDrive18i is the most affordable variant with a 1.5-liter, 3-cylinder turbo petrol engine with 136 hp and front-wheel drive. In the slightly more expensive plug-in hybrid variant xDrive25e, the 1.5 engine and an electric motor operate over the rear wheels together in an electronically controlled 4-wheel drive. Total output is 245 hp. In electric mode, the car can travel 77 km (WLTP). The hybrid variant xDrive30e has a more powerful electric motor that together with the petrol engine produces 326 hp.
The prices
BMW with electric drivetrain:
iX1 eDrive20: 515.520
iX1 xDrive30: 527.979 (of which 19.000 are taxes)
BMW with plug-in hybrid drive:
X1 xDrive25e: 722.400 (of which 282.000 are taxes)
X1 xDrive30e: 751.300 (of which 288.000 are taxes)
BMW with petrol engine:
X1 sDrive18i: 629.800
All prices apply to fully registered basic variants. Most people will choose one or more additional equipment packages.
The plug-in hybrid car X1 xDrive30e costs 223.000 kroner more than the electric iX1 xDrive30. The price difference is only taxes to the treasury. In Germany, the prices of the iX1 and X1 are quite similar.
Price examples in Germany:
iX1 xDrive30: 645.086 (€55.900)
X1 xDrive25: 588.500 (€51.000)
X1 xDrive30: 617.390 (€53.500)
Prices after 3 years
As several fossil fuel car models are no longer imported into the country, several car dealers are reporting increased demand for used gasoline and diesel cars. Looking at used car prices, you can buy a 3-year-old BMW X1 for about the same price as a brand new BMW iX1.
I have searched for a 2023 BMW X1 xDrive25e for sale with less than 50.000 km. The model year is important here because cars produced from June 2022 are of the same type (U11) as the current model year. With low mileage, the cars in this search can be perceived as new.
Average prices (<50.000 km):
2023 sDrive18i: 525.000 (based on 2 cars).
2023 xDrive25e M-Sport: 579.000 (based on 7 cars out of a total of 145 registered in Norway).
All 2023 models have equipment packages. M-Sports packages cost from 50.000. This means that you can buy an almost new BMW X1 plug-in hybrid with 4-wheel drive for the same price as a similarly new iX1 electric car. It's a sensible solution.
You don't save much by importing a newer used BMW X1 from Germany. But as fewer and fewer gasoline and diesel cars are sold here, it may be necessary to import cars from Germany to meet demand.
A significantly less expensive alternative
Used car prices drop when a model is replaced by a new one. The 2022 model year is an older version of the X1 (F48). The outgoing model with the xDrive25e drivetrain has a smaller high-voltage battery, the electric motor has less power. Total output is 220 hp and the range in electric mode is 49 km (WLTP). In a car with low mileage, you can still get a great car for far less money.
Average price (<50.000 km):
2022 xdrive25e (20 cars) 370.000.
List of "non-electric" car models
All prices are from the prices stated on the car manufacturer's or car importer's websites. Additional costs may apply. Several car dealers are now selling stocked hybrid, petrol and diesel cars that will no longer be marketed in Norway.
BMW 320i xDrive (petrol) 773.281
BMW 330e 799.400
BMW 320d xDrive Touring 880.281
BMW 330e Touring 819.199
BMW 520d xDrive 958.419
BMW 520d xDrive Touring 973.000
BMW 530e 960.799
BMW 530e Touring 976.000
BMW 530e xDrive Touring 1.016.400
BMW X1 sDrive18i (petrol) 629.800
BMW X1 xDrive25e 722.400
BMW X1 xDrive30e 751.300
BMW X1 M35i xDrive (petrol) 1.004.700
BMW X2 M35i xDrive (petrol) 1.042.428
BMW X5 xDrive50e 1.312.600
Honda Jazz Elegance e:Hev Hybrid 334.400
Honda CR-V Advance Tech Plug-in Hybrid 694.500 (New model from 2023)
Mazda2 Hybrid 360.900
Mazda CX-30 Mild hybrid 497.800
Mazda CX-60 761.800 PHEV
Mazda CX-80 847.800 PHEV
Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain Plug-in diesel 1.073.900
Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 de 4MATIC 1.365.900 (promotion)
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 744.900 (New model from 2025)
Suzuki Swift 4×4 Hybrid 364.900
Suzuki S-Cross and Vitara are only sold from stock.
Volvo XC60 T6 Plus Edition 1.006.900
Volvo XC90 T8 Plus 1.254.500
See
Opting out of electric cars is the only sensible choice. Electric cars are, as we know, garbage.