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Every ten miles along major roads, a fast-charging station is needed to enable longer electric car trips across the country, as assessed by the Swedish Transport Administration.
In much of the country there is no problem, there are a total of 450 fast chargers along the main road network. But despite that, there are also some “white stretches” that the Swedish Transport Administration calls it where the distances are good much longer than ten miles.
These need to be covered for Sweden to have a full charging infrastructure, according to the Swedish Transport Administration. Therefore, earlier this summer, they were tasked by the government to distribute state support to actors who want to invest in fast-charging stations where it is most scarce at the moment.
Now it is clear which places who will be able to request the aid in a first turn. In total, it’s about 50 million for seven counties, then another 100 million for other places in 2021 and 2022.
– These fast chargers will probably not be used much at first, but it is an important piece of the puzzle when we build the charging infrastructure for the future, says Sven Hunhammar, environmental director of the Swedish Transport Administration.
He believes that the reason there are not enough fast chargers in the specified locations at the moment is that the surface area is too small; in other words, not many electric cars drive on those roads.
But still, charging options are needed there too.
– There should be charging points everywhere so you don’t have to get stuck with your car, says Hunhammar.
There are no restrictions on who can apply for the support. They can be merchants, city councils, municipal companies or other actors. As long as the applicant commits to maintaining the operation for at least five years, the Swedish Transport Administration can contribute up to one hundred percent of the investment cost.
Is it good to have a charging station?
– It depends on how much you can charge for electricity and how much is consumed. But there is a reason these sections are white (no station within ten miles, red note). I don’t think the deal is that good, honestly. Energy loads, for example, are quite high.
But do you still think players in these areas should want to run cargo operations?
– Yes, we are hopeful that we will cover all routes, but it is not guaranteed that we will get candidates for all places and then we will probably have to rethink it, says Sven Hunhammar.
Sven Hunhammar.
Photo: Elin Gårdestig, Swedish Transport Administration
He estimates that building a fast charging station costs around a million crowns. In this case, the Swedish Transport Administration has set the lower limit for “fast charge” at 50 kilowatts.
That is what many of today’s electric cars are capable of receiving.
– The new charging stations will be 150 kilowatts shared by those who charge at the same time. Faster becomes more expensive, and our goal is to cover a large area and then we think this is a reasonable level, says Hunhammar.
Is there a risk that many unprofitable state-funded charging stations will be built and then abandoned?
– The agreement guarantees the operation for five years, but we do not know what the business model of each applicant is. It is not certain that the charger itself has to circulate, but it can be a way to attract customers to other activities you have, says Sven Hunhammar.
There is nothing in the agreements with the recipient of the support that regulates the amount of payment that you can charge customers. Basically, you can charge as much as you want for electricity. However, it is said that they should be available to everyone, and not just client clubs or the like.
