The funding will go toward the construction of 28 fast chargers for electric trucks and buses in Oslo. The development efforts are overseen by the players St1 and Fastcharge.
Oslo has created a grant programme to encourage the installation of charging stations for electric vehicles and buses. The ‘Climate and Energy Fund’ will cover up to 80% of installation expenses in the first round of funding. So far, 25 million Norwegian kroner (approximately €2.3 million) has been allocated to 28 additional fast-charging stations for electric trucks and buses in Oslo, accounting for 80% of the total cost. This initial round of applications closed on 01 December, 2022. The second round deadline is 01 March.
“If heavy transport operators are to choose electric in the future, they are dependent on better charging facilities. Therefore, it is positive and important that so many want to build charging stations that are specially adapted to heavy vehicles, and thus contribute to the trucks also taking the step to become emission-free,” says Petter Nergård Christiansen, transport advisor at the Norwegian Climate Agency.
The four heavy transport charging stations will span the city from Rommen in the north, Filipstad in the west to Åsland in the south.
“Heavy transport is on the threshold of becoming electric, but the lack of charging stations for trucks is a major obstacle. We could end up in a tangle where companies don’t invest in electric trucks because they can’t charge along the road, and no one wants to build charging stations if there aren’t electric trucks on the roads. Then the municipality must step in to solve the tangle, and we provide financial support to companies that want to build publicly available charging stations,” says Sirin Stav, Oslo City Councilor for Environment and Transport.
Climate subsidies for fast chargers for heavy vehicles have been awarded to projects in Rommen, Alnabru, and Åsland in the region of Sndre Nordstrand.
The new charging stations, along with the heavy vehicle charging station at Filipstad and the impending one at Grnlikaia, will establish a network of fast chargers for heavy vehicles distributed over Oslo. All fast chargers are designed to handle at least 350 kW and will be offered to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“The charging stations are located close to the main routes in Oslo, which was an important criterion in the assessment. It’s also great that Oslo now has three very different charging stations for heavy vehicles. One at an existing Shell station while another is at an upcoming round-the-clock rest stop. The last one is on a plot of land that is currently used for deliveries of goods by heavy vehicles and storage of industrial equipment,” adds climate adviser Bergljot Tjønn of the Climate Agency.
