STORY / PUBLIC SOURCE RECORD
Norway is one of the world’s top countries in readiness for self-driving cars and autonomous vehicles
- Published 14 March 2023; updated 30 September 2026; estimated reading time 4 minutes. The article cites Norway’s third-place rankings in KPMG’s 2019 and 2020 Autonomous Vehicle Readiness Index, behind Singapore and the Netherlands; the index measures policy/legislation, technology/innovation, infrastructure and consumer acceptance. Applied Autonomy CEO Olav Madland says Norway has adapted regulations to enable autonomous-vehicle testing without a safety driver and supplies control systems/services for autonomous transport. Kolumbus in Rogaland is a customer; the company also works with European city authorities.
- Norway’s varied terrain and weather are presented as useful test conditions. The article cites 88.9% of new cars sold in Norway in 2024 as fully electric and describes broad EV charging infrastructure. An older policy target to have only electric cars added by 2025 is a past goal, not confirmation of outcome. Institute of Transport Economics researcher Erik Figenbaum attributes EV adoption to incentives dating to the late 1990s, maintained through periods when EV technology was weak, followed by improvements in lithium-ion batteries and later incentives.
- The article links Norway’s electric-vehicle base to AV readiness and says KPMG identified Norwegian competence in autonomous boats, building on offshore/maritime R&D. Examples include electric autonomous passenger-ferry concepts from Zeabuz and Hyke. It describes public/private cooperation and public acceptance as continued strengths but notes fully self-driving cars and buses remain developmental rather than commonplace.
- Contacts: Benedicte Fasmer Waaler, Investment Manager (Battery/Digital infrastructure), Benedicte.Fasmer.Waaler@innovasjonnorge.no; Désirée Vikse, Investment Manager (Battery/Minerals), desiree.vikse@innovasjonnorge.no; phone numbers available via on-page reveal controls. Related industries: Battery, Transportation and Energy.