Ellevio's tripled power fee from 2025 has forced fast-charging stations on Orust to shut down. Orust, once Sweden's densest area for charging stations, now risks having none at all after four of five subscriptions were canceled in December. Those affected call the increase unreasonable, while Ellevio blames politics.
Orust, an island in Västra Götaland, has gone from being Sweden's municipality with the densest network of electric vehicle charging stations to risking a complete absence of fast chargers. The reason is Ellevio's 2025 decision to triple the power fee, making operations unsustainable for the operators.
In December, four of five subscriptions were canceled, and the last charging station in Henån is on a thin thread. Lars Carlsson from Orust Kretsloppsakademi expresses frustration: 'We have appealed this completely crazy increase, but no one has listened.'
Ellevio regrets the development but claims it cannot intervene. In a response to Dagens Nyheter, the company states: 'We do not wish any customer to cease their operations.' They argue that the penalty fees are an unfortunate exception that politicians must resolve.
Energy consultant Claes Hemberg criticizes Ellevio's handling as tone-deaf: 'It is an unreasonable shock increase in the fee. Companies must meet their customers.'
The situation highlights tensions between grid development and the demands of electrification in Sweden, where high fees threaten the expansion of charging infrastructure.
