New figures from Norway show that many electric car owners are living dangerously. 64,000 of them charge their cars in a way that puts safety at risk.
A new survey, Elbilmonitor, conducted by NAF, reveals a disturbing trend. As many as 64,000 electric car owners, corresponding to 8 percent of those surveyed, admit to charging their electric cars in a way that can be described as both incorrect and dangerous.
Charging electric cars in a regular socket or with an extension cord to a regular socket is common among these electric car owners. But doing so is not only illegal in Norway. It is also associated with a high risk of fire.
– It is a huge risk to take if you charge your electric car from a normal socket every day. Electric cars use a lot of electricity, and overheating can, in the worst case, start a fire in the home, warns Nils Sodal, senior communications advisor at NAF, in a press release .
He further points out that insurance problems may arise for electric car owners who suffer damage after charging in a regular outlet.
The rules for charging electric cars at home have been tightened for a reason. Charging in a regular socket has long been prohibited.
Until July 1, 2022, a separate socket with a separate circuit for electric car charging was a requirement. After July 1, 2022, it is a requirement to have an installed charging box. At least in Norway. In Denmark, according to the Danish Safety Technology Authority's website, there are no similar requirements.
– Everyone who gets an electric car and wants to charge it at home must now install a charging box. A charging box ensures safety, and with a charging box you can charge the car efficiently and control the charging according to electricity prices, explains Nils Sodal.
Many electric cars come with a charging cable that can be plugged into a power outlet, called an emergency charging cable.
– As the name suggests, this is for use when you need to charge your car and have no other option than a power outlet. It's still legal, but it's a good idea to keep an eye on the outlet when doing so, says Sodal.
However, he emphasizes that the emergency charging cable is not intended for regular charging at home or at work. Here, it is a requirement that a charging stand or charging box is present.
– What is regulated is the regular charging that you do at home. You now need to have a charging box in place, the NAF advisor concludes.
How do you charge your electric car at home?
Based on the NAF Electric Vehicle Monitor conducted by Norstat in December 2024, with a nationally representative sample of 1,531 respondents, the answers to the question "How do you charge your electric car at home?" are distributed as follows:
| Charging method | Total |
|---|---|
| Charging box | 82% |
| Socket set up to charge electric cars (installed for 2023) | 10% |
| Standard socket | 6% |
| Extension cord for standard outlet | 2% |
| Don't know | 1% |
