Next year, the government must sort out bottlenecks and accelerate the development of electric car charging points, the Norwegian Automobile Association (NAF) demands.
– It’s now urgent, says Nils Sødal, senior communications adviser at NAF.
NAF is now asking the government to call on the players who will be responsible for the development of charging point stations.
– We have to sort out the bottlenecks that are presently preventing development. The number of charging stations is not on par with the growth in the number of electric cars, Sødal states.
Build fewer than promised
The government’s goal is that all new car sales in 2025 should be zero-emission cars. But at the same time, fewer charging stations are being built than was promised, and far fewer than needed, according to figures that NAF has collected from the charging operators.
“In 2019, just over half of the charging capacity needed was built, and far fewer fast chargers than the companies had planned for at the beginning of the year,” says Sødal, who points out that a good charging infrastructure is a prerequisite for achieving the political goal.
– Here the government has a responsibility, he says.
In 2019, less than 400 new charging points were installed in Norway, with a total charging capacity of about 40,000 kilowatts. That’s 30,000 kilowatts less than needed, according to NAF.
Charging an important obstacle
According to the charging operators, the slow installation is due to long case handling in the municipalities, difficult grid companies and high energy tariffs.
A survey among NAF members shows that range, towbars and quick recharging options are the main obstacles to switching to electric cars.
– Charging points is the easiest obstacle for the government to solve for the road users, says Sødal.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
Be the first to comment on "NAF requires more charging stations in 2020"