The is enjoying relative success among electric vehicles in Norway. Despite its sales dipping, this month marks the that the new VW sits in the top spot of EV sales in the country. The Norwegian market is known to be and has been one of the leading markets for electric cars.
Norway does not provide the final word of any given EV’s sales figures, but it gives us a look into a very specific market where EVs make up a large portion of new car sales. If Norway reveals anything at all about the ID.3's sales, things may look good for Volkswagen. The carmaker has sold nearly 5,500 of the cars since September, and the ID.3 was the best-selling EV in Norway for the two months afterwards, as reported by .
Second-best in Norway’s EV sales was the . The Volkswagen Group sits in third place with the . And the is doing well, too, according to Volkswagen. Between these models, VW may be recovering from its fumbled and of the new platform amid supply chain constraints and software development woes.
Norway has been a leading market for EVs due to and a road-going public that looks favorably on sustainable transportation. Of course, it helps that the country and its drivers are relatively wealthy. In Norway, the starts at 359,900 NOK, or slightly more than $41,000 USD.
While the ID.3 is not at the top of Volkswagen’s EV range, it is priced higher than several similar EV models. The , one of the segment leaders in Europe, sits lower on Norway’s sales charts despite costing less. The Zoe is nearly $10,000 USD cheaper than the ID.3 before subsidies and discounts. The is also available in Norway, where it costs about $11,000 USD less than the VW. Though they start at lower prices in the country, neither the Zoe nor E can boast the ID.3's sales figures.
Yes, the ID.3 is more expensive, but it seems to provide a more comfortable driver experience and looks more refined than the Zoe. The ID.3 exceeds the range of the Honda E, so the lower price of the Honda might correspond to their distinct capabilities.
In any case, it is interesting to look at Norway and see real-world examples of what future car markets may look like, once electric vehicles occupy a broader range of prices and categories.