Lack of charging stations for electric cars in northern Sweden

Despite the ongoing efforts to increase the number of electric car chargers in Sweden, significant challenges remain for those who live and travel in the northern part of the country.
Electric car owner Jonas Svedin, who lives both in Umeå and 30 miles further away in Kittelfjäll, testifies to the difficulty of finding enough, and fast, charging options along the way.

– The development has still been quite good, but I still think that the fast chargers are slow. If there are several people standing at two poles, it is not possible to charge quickly, says electric car owner Jonas Svedin

Currently, there are close to 5,000 existing charging stations around the country, but most of these only offer a charging capacity of 22 kilowatts (kW). For electric cars that require higher power, such as 150 kW, the number of available chargers is significantly fewer, with just under 400 stations available.

The situation worsens the further north you travel, where the charging infrastructure is even sparser.

– Along the major state roads, there must be a maximum of ten miles to a charging station with 150 kW. Otherwise, the stretch is counted as a white spot, says Hanna Eklöf, who is the investigation leader for climate and energy at the Swedish Transport Administration.

40 new charging stations

To address the problem, the Swedish Transport Administration has granted support for the expansion of charging infrastructure from Värmland and northwards. It is hoped that a further 40 charging points with a capacity of at least 150 kW will be established in the next few years. Despite these efforts, public fast chargers are only part of the solution for an efficient electrification of the transport sector.

– We need to get home charging and some form of public charging for those who do not have access to their own parking. Along the roads, there will be a need for more charging stations as the number of cars and trucks powered by electricity increases, says Hanna Eklöf.

“Must have fifteen apps”

A future solution that is being discussed is the possibility of booking charging at specific locations and times to facilitate planning and reduce the risk of overloading charging stations. But according to Jonas Svedin, and many other electric car owners in the region, several other problems remain to be solved before electric car trips in northern Sweden can be made smooth and worry-free.

– You must have maybe fifteen apps to be able to go out and travel far. It’s a nightmare. It is faster to fill up with petrol or diesel, but it is nicer for the environment and the conscience to drive an electric car, says electric car owner Joans Svedin.

Lack of charging facilities for trucks

The lack of high-capacity fast chargers isn’t the only problem. Another shortcoming is loading facilities for trucks, which form an important part of freight transport in the region. Without sufficient charging options for heavy vehicles, the electrification of the transport sector will face obstacles.

– More charging points where trucks are stationary is something that needs to be done, says Hanna Eklöf at the Swedish Transport Administration.