[Comet]

Norwegian Finance Minister, Kristin Halvorsen, and her Socialist Left Party have put forth a plan that would disallow the sale of new cars that run solely on gasoline after 2015.

Under the plan new cars such as hybrids, that run partially on gas, would still be allowed to be sold in the country, but any cars that only use gas as their power source would be illegal. Cars already on the road would be unaffected.

“The financial crisis also means that a lot of those car producers that now have big problems … know that they have to develop their technology because we also have to solve the climate crisis when this financial crisis is over,” Halvorsen was quoted as telling Reuters.

While the intention may be good, the practicality of the proposal is insanely questionable — to say the least.

So don’t worry, even though the issue may be used by some of the more reactive arms of the essentially useless mainstream media as further proof that socialism is bad, the real story is that everybody else in Norway thinks the proposal is as crazy as most of you likely do.

According to reports, the plan has no legs due to heavy opposition by Norway’s other two ruling parties and its Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg.

Although it may seem *slightly* off kilter for the Finance Minister of an entire country to suggest that gas cars be banned, Halvorsen says that her party’s proposal has been largely misunderstood and that the plan wouldn’t cause undue harm to an already devastated economy.

“We know that the world will be dependent on oil and gas for many decades ahead but we have to introduce new technologies and this is a proposal to support that,” she said. “A lot of people thought that this proposal also would go after the cars we already have. That is not the case, it’s the new cars that are bought after 2015.”

http://gas2.org/2009/04/27/norway-ma...rs-after-2015/

[ACZakka325i]

I didn't know they had cars in Norway. But seriously, the market there is so small compared to say the US that the focus of car manufacturers will likely be unchanged.

Just sucks for consumers there, I say.

[FStop7]

LOL "Socialist Left Party"

[Delta0311]

Originally Posted by FStop7

LOL "Socialist Left Party"

Aka the Communist Party and you can bet your ass the party leaders will be riding around in a gas car.

[jj thumper]

They are just mad because global warming is melting their country.

[Year's_End]

gay.

[cougfan335]

I think I remember seeing that our cars cost like $250k over in Norway, so its not like they could have that big a car culture anyways if the average car is like a gently used geo metro. This law will only boost the value of used cars.

[Tondtar]

Norway : "Foot paddles from now on ...or Ban!"

[solefald]

i think that ban would go well with California's intention to ban dark colored cars.