Yes Norway is oil producer, but the price of gas is 1.88 EUR/l (9.7 USD/gal), and trafic is very slow with 90 kph (55 mph) speed limit on motorways, 80 kph on open roads an 50 kph in towns. Speeding is very expensive, and the speeding ticket depends on your salary (if I'm not mistaken). And subsidy for EV - 17.524 EUR So, yes ideal conditions for EV, except for long journeys.
Their electricity is principally hydro and has traditionally been very cheap, and is still cheap compared to other countries. Price is higher in the winter due to higher demand and price also depends on the weather, since hydro output depends on rainfall. Norway has imported electricity but in general is a net exporter. They have potential for wind and solar as well. Low population density always helps.
In 2010 there were 127,750 total new car sales in Norway. Through September 2011 1,425 EVs have been sold, 77% iMiEVs.
so ... Norway is paying up front, what the U.S. would likely pay, if our fossil fuel costs were actually based off of what it monitarily takes to use it. Ie; damaged health costs, military costs to acquire ... environmental damage, etc. oh, but give an incentive for EV's and it makes a lot of folks freak out.
They are smart. They can sell their oil for CA$H, and likely a lot more in the future. Why burn it themselves when they can drive electric cars? The first thing that popped into my mind about Leaf and hydro-electric in Norway ... doesn't water freeze there in the winter? Won't that have an impact on EV battery range and reduced hydroelectric output (a double edged sword if the Leafs are charged from the hydroelectric dams).
Not sure how hydro works (in detail at least) but surely the water from a massive reservoir will remain liquid under the ice and the water will be drawn from near the top, but not quite. That way you're draining from below the ice? I know the reservoirs here have signs warning about standing on the ice as when water is drawn a significant gap is left between the water surface and the ice sheet. I believe Norway produces significant electric supply - which I believe we in the UK use - in addition to that purchased from our nuclear French friends.
