Oslo has launched a grant scheme through its ‘Climate and Energy Fund’ to support the installation of charging stations for electric trucks and buses in the city. The first round of funding will cover up to 80% of installation costs, with 28 new fast-charging stations being granted 25 million Norwegian kroner (about €2.3 million).
Fastcharge and ST1 have been selected to implement the new chargers, with three confirmed locations and at least one under construction. Bergljot Tjønn, Technology Adviser at the Climate Agency, said it was “fun” that Oslo now has three very different charging stations for heavy vehicles, including one at an existing Shell station, another at an upcoming 24-hour rest area, and the last one on a plot of land used for goods deliveries and industrial equipment storage.
The Climate and Energy Fund created a competition-based grant scheme in 2022 to support the installation of fast charging stations for heavy vehicles in Oslo. The City Council for Environment and Transport, Sirin Stav, highlighted the importance of the funding, stating that without it, “we could end up in a mess where companies do not invest in electric trucks because they are not allowed to charge along the road, and no one will build charging stations if there are no electric trucks on the roads”.
Petter Nergård Christiansen, the Transport Advisor at the Norwegian Climate Agency, also praised the scheme, stating it was “positive and important that so many people want to build charging stations that are specially adapted to heavy vehicles, and thus contribute to the fact that trucks can also take the step towards becoming emission-free.”
Six companies submitted eight applications in the first round, with two installations being awarded funding. Round two is currently open and will run until March 1st, 2023. The Oslo municipality runs the Climate Agency, with the goal of achieving emission-free city by 2030.
