Cars¶
Icelanders love cars. We export energy and fish and import cars. We have extremely high car ownership per household.
Cars can be looked up on the public vehicle registry. Cars in the capital area tend to have more rust than up north because Reykjavik salts their roads but Akureyri does not. Car registration and transfers are handled online but you can also submit a paper form to the Icelandic Transport Authority (Samgöngustofa) offices. A car must be free of any fees before ownership can be transfered. Choosing car insurance is bundled into the car buying process. However, the insurance companies don't tend to give you the lowest rate unless you shop around.
Cars generally need to pass an annual checkup to stay on the roads. Car owners must pay a bi-annual road tax.
Electric¶
We are number two in the world in the adoption of electric cars. The charging infrastructure is subsidized and building up quickly.
Veldu Rafbíl is an excellent place to start with links to local resellers. It also indexes the electrics listed on Bílasölur.is.
Used cars¶
The biggest used car aggregator is Bílasölur.is. People also buy and sell passenger vehicles on Facebook (search results for "bílar til sölu").
Tires¶
Used tires are sold by Sorpa and Vaka. Vaka also changes tires. Studded tires are allowed in the winter time and there are usually notices in the papers about when the government will start fining cars with studs. However, in the capital area, all-weather tires are usually sufficient. The main roads tend to be cleared quickly and regularly when it snows.