Sweden has the most rechargeable cars per capita in the EU. But a new mapping from the Swedish Transport Agency shows that there are sparse spaces between the posts on parts of certain European roads and national roads in Sweden.
Above all there are the white spots in the western parts of Norrbotten and Västerbotten counties, but also in Dalarna and Kalmar counties. According to the EU’s minimum requirements, depending on the type of road, there must be charging stations between at least every six to ten miles.
Lack of infrastructure is a deterrent
According to Carl-Erik Stjernvall, the lack of charging stations can have counterproductive consequences.
– People who want a rechargeable car, but who see that the infrastructure is not in place, may hesitate to buy one, he says.
He points out that there is also an unequal distribution of the number of charging stations between metropolitan regions and sparsely populated areas – despite the fact that people in sparsely populated areas often travel by car.
– And we see that sales of rechargeable cars increase most in areas outside metropolitan regions such as Norrbotten, Västernorrland and Kalmar county, he says.
Calls for coordinated responsibility
According to Karolina Isaksson, professor of transport planning at the Norwegian Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI), the charging infrastructure needs to be in place to help the transport sector reach the 2030 climate targets for electrification.
– If you look at the transport system as a whole and that car travel should be reduced, perhaps it is particularly important to invest in sparsely populated areas. People there need to be able to rely on the fact that it is worth switching to an electric car, she says.
Carl-Erik Stjernvall believes that the white spots are mainly due to a lack of coordinated responsibility.
– We think a national coordinator is needed who, among other things, can support the municipalities in the work of putting up poles, he says.
The charging posts are missing here – see more in the clip above.
