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Norway rolls back EV incentives while boosting walking and cycling (2022)

electrek.co

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Re: Norway rolls back EV incentives while boosting walking and cycling (2022)

#31

Post by rickydroll »

vinni2 wrote: post #22
chha wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

VAT on EVs isn’t the only mechanism, there is also a one-time toll related to vehicle weight in the works.

I know but people still need cars and they will buy it even if it costs twice as much. When public transportation is not convenient and reliable there is not really much choice.

people will continue to take cars whenever cars are faster than public transit. Compare your travel route options on Google maps. My partner commutes about 20 miles to work and driving takes 45 min to an hour and 1/4 depending on time of day. even though we live a mile and 1/2 from a major train stop, it would take her an 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours to use public transportation to get to work.

until public transit fixes the time inefficiency problem, it's fighting an uphill battle.

Re: Norway rolls back EV incentives while boosting walking and cycling (2022)

#33

Post by vinni2 »

anonporridge wrote: post #29
vinni2 wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Norway is not Netherlands. Try biking in -20 C and go shopping for a family on a bike. Where I live bike paths are not regularly cleared they can get icy and dangerous. Public transport is the way to go. Biking can complement when and where possible. I say this as a person who commutes to work with bike everyday.

If you watched the video I linked, you would find every point you just made here dismantled.

I have seen this video and in the examples he gives they clear the bike paths. Where I live when it snows it’s just impossible to bike. In heavy snow it’s like biking on the sand. And sometimes when the temperatures fluctuate there is black ice I have to worry about. Some bike paths get salted but not all so it’s not a safe continuous ride at least for my commute.

Re: Norway rolls back EV incentives while boosting walking and cycling (2022)

#34

Post by [deleted] »

anonporridge wrote: post #21
vinni2 wrote: post #4

This is hypocrisy Norwegian economy is heavily driven by oil industry. Instead of planning to phase out oil they just makes these ineffective policies. People are going to buy big electric cars even with VAT.

There's actually a Norwegian show about Norway getting invaded and occupied by Russia, with support by the EU, because they decided to stop producing and exporting fossil fuels. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupied

[deleted]

Re: Norway rolls back EV incentives while boosting walking and cycling (2022)

#35

Post by vinni2 »

chrisco255 wrote: post #30
vinni2 wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s not exactly true. When the Russian gas stopped the adoption of renewables accelerated in Germany and other places in Europe. If oil is phased out people will adapt. Most of Norwegian oil customers are in Europe so switching to renewable energy and phasing out oil is doable. Instead Norway wants to explore oil in the arctic.

Why would the Russian gas situation have done that? The natural gas from Russia was used for power plant generation, and electricity prices skyrocketed, since Germany doesn't have its own sustainable electric supply. Norway on the other hand has more oil than it could ever use, as well as hydropower.

> Why would the Russian gas situation have done that?

Because the countries are realizing how relying on foreign oil and gas makes them vulnerable.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/how-t...

Re: Norway rolls back EV incentives while boosting walking and cycling (2022)

#36

Post by anonporridge »

vinni2 wrote: post #33
anonporridge wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you watched the video I linked, you would find every point you just made here dismantled.

I have seen this video and in the examples he gives they clear the bike paths. Where I live when it snows it’s just impossible to bike. In heavy snow it’s like biking on the sand. And sometimes when the temperatures fluctuate there is black ice I have to worry about. Some bike paths get salted but not all so it’s not a safe continuous ride at least for my commute.

The primary point of the video, is that when adequate infrastructure and servicing (plowing and de icing) exists, very cold, harsh weather doesn't decrease bike ridership.

In the example city, Oulu Finland, they see a consistent 22% ridership all the way down to -20C, because they incentivize cycling with well designed and maintained infrastructure.

Re: Norway rolls back EV incentives while boosting walking and cycling (2022)

#37

Post by onlyrealcuzzo »

anonporridge wrote: post #2

Fantastic news! EVs already have escape velocity in Norway to replace ICE cars, and incentivizing more walking and cycling not only promotes more efficient modes of short distance travel, but makes the population healthier. Over reliance on cars kills us slowly via lifestyle degradation.

At least in the article, I didn't see anything mentioned about incentivizing cycling or walking (or infrastructure investments to support them).

They're simply reducing subsidies to EVs, which will only be slightly less heavily subsidized compared to ICE vehicles.

Anyone from Norway know what they're doing for walking and cycling that isn't in the article?

Re: Norway rolls back EV incentives while boosting walking and cycling (2022)

#38

Post by vinni2 »

anonporridge wrote: post #29
vinni2 wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Norway is not Netherlands. Try biking in -20 C and go shopping for a family on a bike. Where I live bike paths are not regularly cleared they can get icy and dangerous. Public transport is the way to go. Biking can complement when and where possible. I say this as a person who commutes to work with bike everyday.

If you watched the video I linked, you would find every point you just made here dismantled.

True the temperature is not the issue. The issue is unmaintained bike paths in most of Norway during winters. I did mention that.

Re: Norway rolls back EV incentives while boosting walking and cycling (2022)

#39

Post by SoftTalker »

gentleman11 wrote: post #10

I can’t even imagine that here where I live. My neighbourhood has sidewalks, which is nice because all the adjacent ones don’t. To go downtown in this little town in winter you have to risk a treacherous steep hill covered in ice and snow that never gets cleared and it’s actually dangerous

Yes, it's amazing how bike advocates view the world as a homogenous place.

Where I live it's 90 degrees or higher, and humid in the summer, and can be sub-zero in the winter. It's also quite hilly -- flat and level riding is the exception. I'm not riding a bike any substantial distance in those conditions, regardless of paths or lanes.

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