Sweden has the most rechargeable cars per capita in the EU. But a new survey from the Swedish Transport Administration shows that it is sparse between the posts on parts of some European roads and national roads in Sweden.

Above all, the white spots are found in the western parts of Norrbotten and Västerbotten counties, but also in Dalarna and Kalmar counties. According to the EU's minimum requirements, depending on the type of road, there must be charging stations between at least every six to ten miles.

Lack of infrastructure discourages

According to Carl-Erik Stjernvall, the lack of charging points can have counterproductive knock-on effects.

"People who want a rechargeable car, but see that the infrastructure is not in place, may be reluctant to buy one," he says.

He points out that there is also an unequal distribution of the number of charging stations between metropolitan regions and sparsely populated areas – despite the fact that people in sparsely populated areas are often car-borne.

"And we see that sales of rechargeable cars are increasing most in areas outside metropolitan regions such as Norrbotten, Västernorrland and Kalmar counties," he says.

Calls for coordinated accountability

According to Karolina Isaksson, professor of transport planning at the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI), the charging infrastructure needs to be in place to contribute to the transport sector being able to achieve the 2030 climate goals for electrification.

"If you look at the transport system as a whole and that car travel should decrease, it may be particularly important to invest in sparsely populated areas. People there need to be able to trust that it is worth switching to an electric car," she says.

Carl-Erik Stjernvall believes that the white spots are mainly due to a lack of coordinated responsibility.

"We think there is a need for a national coordinator who, among other things, can support the municipalities in their work of erecting poles," he says.

Here the charging points are missing – see more in the clip above.