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How Norway became a world leader in EV sales, and where it goes from here

OSLO, Norway — A silent revolution has transformed driving in Norway. Eerily quiet vehicles are ubiquitous on the fjord-side roads and mountain passes of this wealthy European nation of 5.3 million. Some 30 percent of all new cars sport plug-in cables rather than gasoline tanks, compared with 2 percent across Europe overall and 1-2 percent in the U.S. As countries around the world — including China, the world's biggest auto market — try to encourage more people to buy electric cars to fight climate change, Norway's success has one key driver: the government. It offered big subsidies and perks that it is now due to phase out, but only so long as electric cars remain attractive to buy compared with traditional ones. "It should always be cheaper to have a zero emissions car than a regular car," says Climate and Environment Minister Ola Elvestuen, who helped push through a commitment to have only zero-emissions cars sold in Norway by 2025. The plan supports Norway's CO2 reduction targets under the 2015 Paris climate accord. To help sales, the Norwegian government waived hefty vehicle import duties and registration and sales taxes for buyers of electric cars. Owners don't have to pay road tolls, and get free use of ferries and bus lanes in congested city centers. These perks are being phased out in 2021, though any road tolls and fees would be limited to half of what gasoline car owners must pay. Gradually, subsidies for electric cars will be replaced by higher taxes on traditional cars. Registration tax on new cars is paid on a sliding scale with a premium for the amount of emissions produced. Elvestuen pledges that the incentives for electric vehicles will be adjusted in such a way that it does not scupper the 2025 target. "What is important is that our aim is not just to give incentives," he says. "It is that we are taxing emissions from regular cars." Using taxes to encourage consumers to shift to cleaner energy can be tricky for a government — protests have erupted in France over a fuel tax that hurt the livelihood of poorer families, especially in rural areas where driving is often the only means of transportation. In the U.S, some would like to see the tax credit on EVs and hybrids eliminated while others would extend it. In this sense, Norway is an outlier. The country is very wealthy after exporting for decades the kind of fossil fuels the world is trying to wean itself off of. Incomes are higher than the rest of Europe, as are prices.

Volvo and Ericsson to take Spotify on the road

Volvo is working to bring Spotify to its vehicles. Ericsson has announced it will provide its Connected Vehicle Cloud service to Volvo for future products, and Spotify streaming music is part of that service. Like Toyota Entune and other infotainment services, the Connected Vehicle Cloud will use the driver's smartphone as a modem to stream music and serve as a base for other applications, all of which will be controllable through the vehicle interface. Expect to see the service launch in 2014, though Ericsson stresses later generations will feature an embedded modem with its own SIM card that will piggyback off of the owner's phone data plan.
But that system won't show up in production vehicles until at least 2016. In the interim, Ericsson says it will continue to work with government agencies on its car-to-car communication efforts. That program could eventually help pave the way toward autonomous road trains capable of helping vehicles travel safely together while also reducing traffic congestion. Wired has a full break down of the Connected Vehicle Cloud strategy. You can read it here.

2023 Volvo S60 and V60 get small updates

The Volvo S60 sedan and V60 wagon have been updated for the 2023 model year, their mid-life refresh. We don't know the specifics of how our U.S.-market models will be updated, a Volvo spokesperson telling Car and Driver that information comes this spring. We can look to Europe for the broad strokes, however, and it appears we won't have to look too long nor too hard. The S60 sedan hasn't changed in front, whereas the V60 gets a revised lower front fascia with slightly wider intakes accented by blades of chrome garnish, and a center intake that's a wee bit taller than on the current model. In back, both cars hide their tailpipes. There will be at least one new wheel option as well, six-spoke jobs cribbing from the aero rims designed for the XC40 Recharge. And that's all we have to say about that.  Inside, Google's Android Automotive infotainment software continues its propagation throughout the Volvo lineup, bringing the same functionality to the 9-inch display that we've sampled in a few other Swedish offerings so far.   We only get the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine in the United States, aided by 48-volt mild-hybrid (an update for 2022) or plug-in-hybrid electrical assistance depending on trim for the S60, while the V60 wagon — not the lifted V60 Cross Country — is only sold as the Recharge Polestar Engineered in the United States. Don't expect any deviations on the ICE side, but the PHEV trims benefit from a larger battery and more powerful motor.  In Europe, the B3 and B4 trims will enjoy a new seven-speed dual-clutch. We don't expect that gearbox to be headed our way. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. What makes the Volvo V60 Cross Country a Cross Country | Autoblog