The sale of electric cars in Norway rose last year by 48 percent, ensuring that almost two out of every three new automobiles were battery powered and making Texas-based Tesla Inc. the top selling brand. Seeking to become the first nation to end the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2025, oil-producing Norway exempts battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from taxes imposed on rivals using internal combusion engines (ICE). Tesla grabbed an 11.5 percent share the overall car market, making it the number one brand for the first time on a full-year basis ahead of Germany’s Volkswagen with 9.4 percent. The US auto maker on Sunday reported record quarterly deliveries that far exceeded Wall Street estimates, riding out global chip shortages as it ramped up China production. The Tesla Model 3 was the single most popular model of the year ahead of Toyota’s hybrid RAV4, the sole car among the top-10 with an internal combustion engine, and Volkswagen’s electric ID.4 in third place.