– We fear that the government’s proposal may steer consumers towards diesel cars or plug-in hybrid cars with large emissions. That’s what communications director Øyvind Rognlien Skovli says at Harald A. Møller, Norway’s largest car importer. FEAR MORE FOSSILS: Øyvind Rognlien Skovli, in Harald A. Møller. Photo: Kilian Munch Last week the government put forward a proposal for the state budget for next year, where they want to introduce a one-off tax and VAT for the purchase of new electric cars, among other things. This means that you pay a fee based on the weight of the car, and VAT on the part of the purchase price that is over NOK 500,000. According to Skovli, the fees will lead to the purchase price of popular electric cars rising by several tens of thousands of kroner. This makes them consider going back on a promise they have made. Have calculated the differences The car importer has made a calculation to see how the new taxes will work out for two car models which they believe may be relevant for the same buyer. One is the electric car ID. 4 GTX and the other is a VW Tiguan in hybrid and diesel versions. The calculation shows that ID. 4 GTX with additional equipment, which today would cost NOK 595,000, gets a mark-up of closer to NOK 45,000 with the proposed electric car taxes. In the autumn, Møller bil came out with a promise to cut all fossil passenger car models from Volkswagen from 2024. Now they are unsure if it is possible. – The question now is whether we have to go back on this promise, says Skovli. NAF has also calculated how big an impact the new taxes will have on a selection of electric car models. They specify that the cars in the calculation are well equipped: – The government cancels the electric car initiative Since 2017, Norway has had a goal that all new passenger cars in 2025 must be emission-free. To achieve the goal, electric car buyers have received certain benefits, such as no entry or value added tax. Storting representative Ola Elvestuen (V) is very critical of the fact that these benefits may disappear. VERY CRITICAL: Ola Elvestuen (V). Photo: Stian Lysberg Solum – The government is now canceling the electric car initiative Norway has had for many years and which has been a great success, he says. Elvestuen, who was climate and environment minister in the Solberg government, believes there is every reason to be concerned that the electric car market is starting to decline. He believes that what the government is doing now is fundamentally wrong. – They make it more expensive to choose environmentally friendly and cheaper to keep the fossil car, he says. Despite the bad news, Skovli in Møller Bil does not hope that they will have to scrap the promise to cut out a number of fossil-fuel cars. – I think that is unlikely to be relevant, but at the same time it is disappointing that we have to think about the idea, he says. Does not think the target is reliable Storting representative Geir Pollestad (Sp) believes that the target of emission-free cars will not be threatened either. REASONABLE FEE: Geir Pollestad (Ap). Photo: Odin Omland / news – There is nothing about this tax change that challenges either the goal of zero-emission cars in 2025 or the competitiveness of electric cars, he wrote in an email to news. He is also critical of the level of equipment in the calculations by NAF and Møller. – I am not convinced that people want additional equipment to be exempt from VAT, he says. You can read the full answer to Pollestad here: This is what Geir Pollestad (Sp) answers: “Firstly, I must emphasize that NAF has selected car models that are adapted to get numbers that support the message. Models with a higher level of equipment have been chosen to get the greatest possible effect of VAT. I am not convinced if people want additional equipment to be exempt from VAT. The government’s proposal to introduce VAT on electric cars is sensible and should have actually happened several years ago. In addition, it is still the case that the first 500,000 kroner are exempt from VAT. Electric cars will continue to be heavily subsidised. After this, electric cars will also be far more profitable than cars with diesel and petrol. From a climate perspective, it is pointless to strongly stimulate the purchase of the very largest and most luxurious electric cars. The electric car support has gone from being a support for environmentally friendly technology to a support for the purchase of a car. There is nothing about this tax change that challenges either the goal of zero-emission cars in 2025 or the competitiveness of electric cars.”
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Møller is considering going back on the electric car promise due to the changes in the state budget – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
