employer. Based on a total of approx. 2,6 million workers, this makes for
approximately 78,000 company vehicles. The gains that can be achieved will vary a lot.
3.2.5 Increased mileage allowance rate for Electric vehicles
13% of all workers receive an allowance for using their own vehicles at work; in all about 330,000 people. EV drivers receive an allowance of 0.52 €/km while drivers of regular vehicles gets 0.5 €/km.
3.2.6 VAT exemption
The Value Added Tax (VAT) is at 25%, and is added to all goods and service sold in Norway. For vehicles, the tax is added to the sales value without the registration tax.
Electric vehicles have been exempted from VAT since 2001. The exemption was disclosed to the public in the national budget that was published in October 2000.
The manufacturers and importer of Electric vehicles did not sell many Electric vehicles to private citizens after the decision became known and until it was
introduced. This incentive plays no role for companies as they have tax accounting, i.e. they can deduct any VAT they have paid.
differentiated toll rates are introduced, these will be based on the consideration to reduce peak loads on the road network, as an alternative to expanding the transport system. Electric vehicles contribute to the total transport load in cities, and their exemption undermines the purpose with such regulation. This suggests that this instrument can and should gradually be phased out.
3.3.3 Exemption from ticket fee on national road ferries
Since 2009, Electric vehicles have been exempted from paying ticket fees on highway ferries; i.e. ferries that count as part of the national road system. Passengers in the vehicle will still have to buy a ticket. A justification for introducing this incentive was equal treatment with tolls, as ferry costs constitute the "tolls” for the coastal regions of Norway.
3.3.4 Free public parking with and without free charging
Electric vehicles have been able to park free of charge on municipal public parking areas since 1999; however, some places have allowed this since 1993. Among others, the utility company Oslo Energi, was out early offering free parking and charging at charging stations that were set up on its own sites from 1993. In 1997, a unanimous city council in Oslo decided that they wanted free EV parking. Oslo Municipality then requested that the Ministry of Transport change the regulations so that this would be possible. It appears that the final decision came on 19 January 1999.
Excerpt from the parking regulation:
§ 1. Measure
This regulation applies to the halting and parking a motor vehicle or trailer of a motor vehicle, on a road open to public traffic, cf. traffic regulations
§ 8a. Free parking for electric and hydrogen-powered motor vehicles
Electric and hydrogen-powered motor vehicles may be parked without paying any fee on a site where toll parking has been introduced in accordance with § 2.
For sites with a time limit, a parking disc must be used to document that parking is in accordance with the time limit. Added for regulation of 19 Jan. 1999, no. 139, amended for regulation of 24 May 2011, no. 542 (came into force on 15 June 2011).
The scope defines that there is parking along a road that is regulated. This means that municipal sites in a parking garage are not included in the scope of the regulation, as a parking garage is not defined as a road. Where there is parking with a time
restriction, this time restriction also applies to Electric vehicles. There should be a parking disc in the vehicle showing when parking commenced. The smallest vehicles are allowed to park across the direction of travel under the conditions shown in the box below. In practice, this applies to the smallest 4-wheeled MCs that are shorter than 2.5 metres.
In many places, apart from free parking, the electricity that Electric vehicles use for charging, while parked at charging stations, is also free.
‛Small Electric vehicles can park side-ways, but not in a parking spot for a motor cycle and moped (MC spot).
The Ministry of Transport has made a change to §8a of the parking regulation that specifies that exemption from fees for an EV shall apply to all Electric vehicles, i.e. also vehicles that are registered as motor cycles. Exemption shall also apply to hydrogen-powered vehicles. Exemption will only apply to regulated public places.
There has also been a change in §9 of the parking regulation. This is now regulated so that a vehicle must be placed lengthwise in the field. However, an exception has been made for electric and hydrogen-powered motor vehicles that can park side-ways, with several vehicles in the same field, if all the wheels are within the field and any overhang outside the field does not exceed 40 cm on each side.
In practice, this means that the wheels on the motor vehicle must touch the lane within the field, and that the overhang does not exceed 40 cm outside the field.
Side-ways parking must not reduce safety or interfere with mobility for other road users’.
Source: Oslo Municipality/City Environmental Agency
In 2013, Plug-in Hybrids were given access to the charging stations. However, the regulations are more subtle than for Electric vehicles. Below you will find a fact box with quotes from Oslo Municipality’s web pages regarding charging stations, describing the current praxis in Oslo when it comes to parking and charging Plug-in Hybrids.
Oslo Municipality regarding parking and charging Plug in hybrids.
Normally, Plug in hybrids may only park at locations with signs for «Rechargeable motor vehicle»;
however, until all location have been given new signs, the can also park at locations for an «Electric motor vehicle» Plug-in Hybrids my charge at all locations if our traffic officers can see that your are driving a Plug-in Hybrid vehicle. Plug-in Hybrids do not have the statutory right not to pay a parking fee that Electric vehicles and Hydrogen vehicles have. Plug-in Hybrids must pay a parking fee at all paid municipal parking spots. Always look at the sign at charging stations. If it says
«Plug-in Hybrid for a fee» on the sign, you must pay at the nearest parking meter. If there is no sign, you can park and charge your vehicle at no charge.
At all time-limited charging stations, Electric vehicles and Plug-in Hybrids must have a parking disc and adhere to the maximum time for the location. Set the time you arrive at the parking space on the parking disc”
Source:Oslo Municipality/City Environmental Agency June 2013