Oslo‘s New Charging Prices for Electric Cars Spark Controversy
Electric vehicle (EV) owners in Oslo face a significant hike in charging prices, with the city’s municipal government increasing rates by up to 75% during peak daytime hours. The new pricing structure, effective January 1, 2023, sees the cost of charging an EV between 9 AM and 8 PM surge from 20 to 35 Norwegian Kroner (NOK) per hour, inclusive of both parking and charging fees.
While nighttime charging prices remain unchanged at 13 NOK per hour, the steep daytime increase has drawn criticism from EV advocates and users. Unni Berge, communications chief of Norsk Elbilforening, told VG Nett: "This is very unfair. I suspect that the politicians in Oslo have little understanding of what it means to street-park and doubt that they do it themselves."
Oslo’s Vice Mayor of Environment and Transport, Marit Vea (V), defended the decision, asserting that higher prices would prevent EV owners from using charging points as parking spots. Despite the price hike, EV owners will still pay only 50% of what fossil fuel car owners pay for parking and tolls, up from the previous 30%. However, Berge contends that without an increased hourly rate during peak daytime hours, it could become cheaper to park and charge than to park alone, creating congestion at charging points.
Oslo’s decision to increase charging prices for EVs comes as part of a larger suite of parking and charging fee hikes in the city. Residential parking fees have also risen, with fossil fuel car owners seeing an increase from 5,940 to 6,200 NOK per year, and EV owners from 2,000 to 2,090 NOK. The city expects these increases to generate an additional 40 million NOK for the municipal budget.
