By Benny Guttman

EV sales penetration in Sweden is second only to Norway, but its public charging infrastructure has not grown at the same pace. The government is now shifting its financial incentives away from vehicle purchases to focus on charge point installation. It remains to be seen how this will affect EV sales.

What are the main current e-mobility trends in Sweden?

In terms of EV sales, Sweden continues to be a global leader: the sales penetration rate of 60% is behind only Norway. And with Sweden committed to a ban on the sale of new internal combustion engine vehicles by 2030, this will likely continue to rise. Indeed, the country has ambitious general sustainability plans, as seen by its progress in green energy, green steel and the installation of several gigafactories.

It’s not all plain sailing, though, and there are still several hurdles to overcome. Sweden’s charging infrastructure has failed to keep up with the growth in EV sales and must be improved – particularly for those who live in apartments without access to home charging. Vehicle-to-point ratio for public charging is currently 26.4, some way behind the global average of 15.9. What’s more, growth rate is only 11% – almost half the global average of 21%. Battery capacity is an issue for those in the north of Sweden, who face cold weather and long-distance drives. And after changes to the government’s financial incentives, cost of ownership is prohibitive for some consumers.

How has the government adjusted its financial incentives?

To address the discrepancy between EV sales and charging infrastructure, the government withdrew its financial incentive for EV purchases overnight in November 2022. In many ways, this reallocation of funds makes sense, but it remains to be seen how it will affect EV sales – especially as inflation and higher interest rates have also lowered the appeal of private EV leasing offers.

What changes can we expect in the charging infrastructure?

Customer satisfaction with charging in Sweden (76%) is below the global average of 82%. In general, the country is dealing with an aging grid and struggling to get power to its main cities as demand increases quicker than expected.

The government now offers different financial support options for private individuals, companies and public organizations to install charging stations. The changing profile of EV owners is an important topic. AS EV adoption becomes more widespread, there will be more and more owners who live in apartment blocks without access to private charging. In response, the government has mandated the transport department to make it easier for municipalities to ramp up public EV charging expansion. And the private sector is also contributing: several new companies are now focusing on multi-family residential solutions, including usability enhancements to make it easier to book and use shared charging systems.

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