The electric car association strongly reacts to the increase of rates for quick charging which increases by 60 percent at 35 charging stations in Hedmark, Vest-Agder and Rogaland.
It used to cost 2.50 kroner per minute for rapid charging, but now the price is set at 4 kroner per minute, NRK reports.
The price increase will take effect at 35 charging stations on highway 3 between Rena and Kvikne in Hedmark and on E39 between Mandal in Vest-Agder and Ålgård in Rogaland. The reason for the increase is due to poor use.
“We lose money when someone quick charges there. We are working for a transition to have emissions-free traffic, but we can not lose revenue. That is why we must increase the prices,” says Stian Mathisen, Communications Manager at Fortum Charge and Drevet to NRK.
The reason Fortum loses money is the so-called power tariff. Quick charging requires high power, and the tariff is arranged so that this also provides a high fee to the network company.
The fee is as high regardless of whether the charger is used 25 times a day or five times a month.
The Electric Vehicle Association believes the tariffs have to be changed so that fast-charging stations that are not used as often in the beginning do not go in minus due to high fixed costs.
Communications manager at Norsk Elbilforening, Petter Haugneland, said that the increase of 60 percent, would cost more to quick charge the electric car than to fill gasoline or diesel in some places.
© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today