Summary
- Sweden’s Energy Market Inspectorate is investigating if electricity companies are violating any laws by blocking Tesla Superchargers
- Ongoing strike against Tesla Sweden by IF Metall and allies has caused issues with activating new Tesla Superchargers
- Local energy companies typically deny connections of EV charging stations, citing lack of network capacity or other reasons
- The investigation may be completed in early 2025, with the focus on whether completed Superchargers should be activated
- The Electricians’ Union’s sympathy strike against Tesla Superchargers will continue until a collective agreement is reached with IF Metall
Article
Recently, the Energy Market Inspectorate in Sweden has begun investigating whether the country’s electricity companies are violating any laws by blocking Tesla Superchargers from being connected to the grid. The investigation comes in the midst of a strike by IF Metall against Tesla Sweden, which has led to some sympathy measures from other unions causing delays in the activation of new Superchargers. Electric vehicle owners in Sweden have been experiencing long waits for available Superchargers, despite there being over 100 stalls ready for activation.
Local energy companies in Sweden typically deny connections for installations like EV charging stations due to reasons such as network capacity issues. The Inspectorate is currently reviewing whether the protests by the unions against Tesla Sweden qualify as valid reasons for the denial of connections. Analyst Jerker Sidén noted that the investigation may be completed by early 2025 and the agency is examining if electricity companies are obliged to activate Tesla’s completed Superchargers. The regulations state that grid companies have an obligation to connect facilities to their electricity grids upon request unless there are special reasons.
Mikael Pettersson, head of negotiations at the Electricians’ Union, stated that their sympathy measures against Tesla Superchargers will continue until further notice or until IF Metall secures a collective agreement with the electric vehicle maker. The union is hoping that Tesla’s Swedish company will sign a collective agreement with IF Metall soon, in line with the labor market model that has been in place since 1906. The Electricians’ Union organizes the installation industry for electricians and typically works towards signing collective agreements with employers who use electricians.
The Electricians’ Union’s refusal to activate Tesla Superchargers is part of the wider strike by IF Metall against Tesla Sweden, which has been ongoing since late October 2023. While Tesla Sweden has managed to find workarounds for some of the protests and blockades, sympathy measures from other unions have caused delays in the activation of new Superchargers. The Electricians’ Union’s protest has resulted in long wait times for electric vehicle owners in Sweden, impacting not just Tesla owners but also drivers of non-Tesla electric vehicles.
The Energy Market Inspectorate in Sweden is investigating whether the denial of connections for Tesla Superchargers by local electricity companies is in violation of regulations. Analyst Jerker Sidén noted that the agency is reviewing whether electricity companies are obligated to activate completed Superchargers and whether the protests by the unions are considered valid reasons for the denial of connections. The investigation is expected to be completed by early 2025, and there is currently limited guidance on what constitutes “special reasons” for denying connections.
The Electricians’ Union’s sympathy measures against Tesla Superchargers will continue until further notice or until IF Metall reaches a collective agreement with Tesla Sweden. The union is working towards securing a collective agreement with the electric vehicle maker, in line with the labor market model that has been in place since 1906. The ongoing strike and protests by unions have caused delays in the activation of new Superchargers, affecting electric vehicle owners in Sweden who rely on the charging infrastructure.
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