Amid an ongoing dispute, Sweden’s Energy Market Inspectorate has initiated an investigation into the actions of local electricity companies that are reportedly thwarting Tesla Superchargers from connecting to the electrical grid.
The investigation comes in the wake of IF Metall’s strike against Tesla Sweden, which dates back to late October 2023.
While Tesla has managed to navigate around certain protests and blockades posed by the union, sympathy strikes from allied organizations have further complicated matters for the EV manufacturer.
The most impactful has been a sympathy strike from the Electricians’ Union that has effectively stalled the activation of newly installed Tesla Superchargers—some of which are already completed and poised for operation.
This blockade has led to significant inconvenience for electric vehicle owners, many of whom faced long queues at charging stations across Sweden earlier this month.
Despite Tesla Sweden having over 100 Supercharger stalls fully prepared for activation, drivers encountered frustration as they searched for available charging options.
Notably, the Superchargers serve not just Tesla drivers but also non-Tesla electric vehicle users.
According to earlier reports, local energy companies often cite reasons such as insufficient network capacity to deny connections for installations like electric vehicle charging stations.
The current investigation seeks to determine if the ongoing protests from the unions qualify as valid “specific reasons” for these actions.
Jerker Sidén, an analyst at the Energy Market Inspectorate, confirmed that the agency has commenced an “ongoing review case” concerning this issue, as reported by CarUp.
He added that they are examining whether electricity companies are mandated to activate the Superchargers that have already been completed.
Sidén estimated that the investigation could wrap up by early 2025.
“The Electricians’ Association itself does not commit any crime by taking sympathy measures. We do not have supervisory responsibility over them. However, the electricity network companies in Sweden are bound by regulations under our remit. One such provision mandates that grid companies connect facilities to their electricity grids upon request, barring special reasons,”
he stated.
“While connections must occur within a reasonable timeframe, there is scant guidance on what constitutes a special reason. As this issue has not previously been adjudicated, we cannot currently affirm whether the regulations are being adhered to.”
On the union’s side, Mikael Pettersson, head of negotiations for the Electricians’ Union, affirmed that the sympathy measures against Tesla Superchargers will persist until further notice or until IF Metall reaches a collective agreement with the automaker.
“IF Metall has requested sympathy measures in their efforts to finalize a collective agreement for its members at Tesla in Sweden. The Electricians’ Union represents the installation sector and is actively engaged in securing collective agreements with employers in the field. This practice has been a foundational aspect of the Swedish labor market model since 1906. Our hope is for Tesla’s Swedish operations to finalize an agreement with IF Metall as soon as possible,”
Pettersson explained.