150 electric cars queued up at a charging station in Sweden on Sunday. "And more were coming in," says Jan Fridberg, who is passing by the queue.
Electric cars have become a popular means of transportation. But it is not without its problems, and over the weekend many electric car drivers experienced long queues at charging stations in Sweden. It was particularly bad in Malung, where the queue for Tesla's Supercharger stretched for hundreds of meters.
The situation in Malung was chaotic on Sunday, with electric drivers heading to and from the mountain areas having to wait for hours to charge their cars. A local resident filmed the long queue, confirming the extent of the problem.
– 20 degrees below zero, and then they sit there with poor power and have three, four hours until they can charge. The kids are freezing, and you can't keep warm either, said Jan Fridberg, who passed by the queue, to Aftonbladet .
Previously, Tesla charging stations were reserved for Tesla owners, but now owners of other car brands can also use them. This has caused dissatisfaction among some Tesla owners who feel that the other electric cars are taking up space.
"Sitting here charging now, and here are several other brands, and they are also the ones destroying and blocking available chargers. The worst that can happen is that they open the chargers to everyone," wrote a Tesla owner on Facebook.
There were also reports of long queues at charging stations in Norrköping. Normally, charging electric cars proceeds without problems.
At least in the Nordic countries, charging stations are often located close to each other, and many electric cars charge quickly. Yet things can and do go wrong for electric cars.
Weekends may be an exception, however. In some places there is a lack of charging stations and queues occur.
There are different opinions on how to solve the problem. Some believe that more charging stations should be established, while others believe that it is unrealistic to cover the need during peak periods.
"- One to three times a year, the rest of the year no waiting, breathe and enjoy life," one user commented on Facebook.
The long lines over the weekend were due to a combination of several factors. Many people were heading home before a predicted snowstorm, and at the same time there were many people traveling to and from the mountain areas.
