Interim report 1 Jan. -30 September 2024: A turn for the better in building and technical trade
Kesko’s EV charging network to add 100 new stations and more than double the number of HPC points as demand for high-power charging surges
K-Lataus, the EV charging network by Kesko’s car trade business K-Auto, will comprise over 300 charging stations across Finland by the end of this year, with nearly 1,800 charging points. K-Auto is also upping the charging capacity of 50 of its existing K-Lataus stations. Charging at K-Lataus stations more than doubled in the first half of this year compared to 2022.
”EV drivers are increasingly favouring high-power charging, or HPC. Our 2023 growth plan has been made accordingly: we are not only adding a significant number of new charging stations, but we are also upping the charging capacity of existing stations. As the number of electric vehicles on Finnish roads grows, HPC will continue becoming significantly more popular,” says Iiro Määttänen, the Senior Manager in charge of K-Lataus.
At the moment, nearly all K-Lataus stations offer fast high-power charging. K-Auto is significantly growing the number of efficient charging points this year, adding nearly 400 new HPC points to its network. The K-Lataus charging network already extends from Finland’s southernmost city of Hanko up to Äkäslompolo in Lapland, and K-Auto is further expanding its geographical coverage by opening additional HPC stations in the northern and eastern parts of the country.
All electricity charged at K-Lataus stations is generated using Finnish wind power, meaning K-Lataus customers drive emissions-free.
Growth in the first half of the year bigger than forecasted – the growing popularity of EVs reflected in charging station figures
Between January and May of this year, charging numbers more than doubled at K-Lataus stations in year-on-year comparison, and electricity use grew by 200%. Charging grew especially at expanded K-Lataus stations, suggesting growing demand at the most popular locations.
”The growth figures show that our customers are charging more electricity per visit than before. This in turn tells us that an increasing number of our customers are driving fully electric cars, and also increasingly using HPC equipment. We doubled the size of the K-Lataus network in 2022, while also significantly expanding existing charging stations. We will continue our efforts to promote the green transition in mobility also going forward,” says Määttänen.
The K-Lataus customer base grew by more than 70% in the first half of 2023, and the number of active customers nearly doubled year-on-year. The amount of electricity charged at K-Lataus stations in the first half of 2023 was already twice the figure of full-year 2021.
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