– You see them everywhere. All this is a result of tolls being so high. Hege Rønneberg lives in Jørpeland in Rogaland, and commutes to Stavanger where she works. She usually arranges trips to work by bus. But now everyday life has become completely different, and trips that used to take several hours now take just under an hour. She has bought herself an MC car, or rather an electric four-wheel motorcycle, which she drives every day. And she’s not the only one. – Once I parked at the shop, I was number three with this type of motorcycle. Right after, another one came in. I’m guessing there are around 40 in Jørpeland. The vehicle looks like a normal, small car but is in the MC category. Photo: Ingvild Stuedal Taranger / news Fossil cars with bomb tags pay NOK 160.8 to drive through the two tunnels that make up Ryfast. Electric cars with a bomb chip must pay NOK 112.56. However, if you have the same vehicle as Rønneberg, you drive for free. – It amounts to quite a few thousand a month just in tolls. And not to mention fuel, which is expensive. So I understand very well that people resort to other means of travel, she says. Support of NOK 25,000 Rønneberg estimates that she breaks even when you calculate the price of buying the MC car. If you buy the car new, you get support from Enova of NOK 25,000. Then the price of the car will be around NOK 150,000. This support scheme started in 2022. – There has been a marked increase this autumn. We have had over 40 applications in one month in 2024. We see that it is Oslo and Rogaland that are the largest, says Tor Brekke, senior advisor at Enova. There will be more mopeds on the roads. The police are afraid that more such cars mean more dangerous situations. In 2022, Enova distributed support for 82 electric four-wheel motorcycles. In 2024, they distributed 184 electric four-wheel motorcycles. – It is for people to choose an emission-free motorcycle instead of a fossil fuel motorcycle. In Norway, we have come a long way when it comes to passenger cars, where over 90 percent of the cars sold are emission-free and electric. Tor Brekke, senior adviser at Enova, says the purpose of the support scheme is to get more people to choose electric vehicles over fossil fuels. Photo: Enova Brekke points out that Enova does not want to contribute to more vehicles on the road. – We want those who are going to buy a motorcycle to buy an emission-free one. We would rather people take public transport, cycle or walk. If it is the case that our support schemes contribute to increased purchases of vehicles in general, we must look at the schemes. – Not surprisingly Mayor Irene Heng Lauvsnes in Strand (H) understands that Rønneberg and others from the municipality choose to buy the MC car. – It is because it is far too expensive through the barrier, and people have to do something to manage it financially. This is a reaction to the toll policy we have. Lauvsnes is not worried that the trend in Ryfylke makes it more difficult to pay off the Ryfast project. Irene Heng Lauvsnes, mayor of Strand (H), has long been critical of the price for passing through Ryfast. Photo: Ingvild Stuedal Taranger / news – The guarantors probably worry about that. I worry most about the citizens here. And that they have a cost level that can be lived with. What she is worried about, however, is the safety of the MC cars compared to normal cars. – We support environmentally friendly vehicles, but it makes sense to think that we also want them to choose safe cars. But I fully understand that people choose what is best for them. Unni Berge, communications manager at the Electric Vehicle Association, says she is not surprised by the trend. – Electric cars have become common in Norway. It is not surprising that this also now applies to other types of vehicle. We see that in everything from electric bicycles to electric trucks and electric ferries. Berge, on the other hand, believes that the electric four-wheel motorcycles are exclusively suitable for shorter distances. – But they are probably quite a long way from replacing cars for most people. Published 08.11.2024, at 16.49
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With this “car” you save thousands of kroner through Ryfast – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
