Denmark electric vehicle surge raises power grid concerns

Denmark is experiencing a rapid surge in electric vehicle adoption, with 100,000 new electric cars added to the roads in just five months. The total number of electric vehicles in the country has surpassed 700,000. This shift has significantly reduced average CO2 emissions for new cars from 117g/km in 2020 to 26g/km currently.

However, the rapid growth poses challenges for the national power grid. Henrik Madsen, a professor at the DTU Center for IT-Intelligent Energy Systems, warns that the electricity supply may struggle to cope. He estimates that within ten years, there could be 2.3 million electric vehicles in Denmark, potentially drawing 25 GW from the grid during peak periods.

Industry experts suggest that adjusting tariffs to move charging away from peak evening hours has been successful in the past, and similar tools may be needed to manage future load spikes. While subsidies have driven the current boom, upcoming expert proposals regarding taxes and subsidies for vehicles are expected in the coming months.