OKQ8 Welcomes Requirements for Charging Stations

As a consumer, it is virtually impossible to detect whether a charging station is delivering too much or too little energy. Are you overpaying? Or is the charging station operator losing money on your charging session? For gasoline and diesel pumps, there are legal requirements for regular inspections. An independent entity verifies that the pump delivers the correct amount of fuel.

"Despite the rapid expansion of charging infrastructure, no such requirements exist for charging stations. This means that charging stations can be installed and used for years without any verification that they actually deliver the correct amount of energy. That poses a potential risk to both consumer protection and personal safety," says Eddie Hasth, Head of Inspection and Calibration at RISE.

Partnered with RISE

OKQ8 is one company taking this issue seriously. Despite the absence of mandatory inspections, they proactively partnered with RISE last year to verify around a hundred of their charging stations.

“This is the first large-scale field inspection of charging stations in Sweden,” says Eddie Hasth.

Up to 400 kW

During the inspection, RISE engineers compare the amount of energy the charging station reports it has delivered with the actual amount of energy supplied. The measuring equipment, calibrated at the National Laboratory for Power and Energy at RISE, can currently handle charging stations with power outputs of up to 400 kW.

“We’re proud to be part of driving this development forward. Our fuel pumps for liquid fuels are already subject to regular inspections, so for us, ensuring the same level of quality for charging stations is a natural step,” says Christer Karlsson, Project Manager at OKQ8.

Some variations

As expected, the inspections revealed some variations — some charging stations delivered slightly more energy than expected, while others delivered slightly less. However, the deviations were small.

“It was reassuring to see such positive results and to know that customers are getting what they pay for. Most importantly, there were no significant discrepancies. These inspections are crucial for us — without them, we would be operating in uncertainty,” says Christer Karlsson.

Small deviations are expected. All measurements come with inherent uncertainties, and regulations—such as those for gasoline and diesel pumps—specify tolerances that define an acceptable range of variation.

"It would be interesting to conduct additional measurements in winter conditions to study how very low temperatures affect the charging process. Our charging stations are also relatively new — the oldest high-power chargers are about three years old. In the future, it would be valuable to see how aging affects them, as all measuring instruments experience slight drifts over time. However, at this stage, we are not taking any immediate action based on these findings; instead, we are awaiting potential regulatory requirements for inspections," says Christer Karlsson.

Welcomes regulations

Despite strong public support in Sweden for mandatory inspections of charging stations, such requirements have yet to be introduced. While new regulations may bring additional costs, Christer Karlsson and OKQ8 welcome clear and standardized rules.

"We want well-defined regulations that apply to everyone in the market, making the system both simpler and fairer. It is important that the regulations are stable and predictable, without frequent changes over time. We are used to regulations in the liquid fuel sector, so this is nothing new to us. Of course, there will be some costs involved, both for adapting equipment and for the inspections themselves, but it will be the same for everyone, ensuring fairness," says Christer Karlsson.

He sees independent inspections as a major advantage.

"Having an independent entity like RISE conduct inspections is crucial for building trust with our customers. They recognize the inspection stickers on fuel pumps as a mark of quality, and the same principle applies here. It reassures them that we are delivering exactly what they expect," he says.

Continues expanding

While awaiting official regulations, OKQ8 continues to expand its charging network.

“At OKQ8, our goal is to become climate-neutral while supporting our customers in their own transition. In 2024, we opened more than 120 new charging stations, and our expansion will continue,” he says, adding:

“If we want electrification to progress, we need more charging stations—it’s as simple as that.”

Contact Christer Karlsson

Phone: +46 702-68 01 82

E-mail: christer.karlsson@okq8.se