Does it make sense for phone companies to get into the EV charging game? The Norwegian firm Telenor offers a full range of telecom services in the Nordic Countries, including mobile and fixed telephony, internet access and cable TV.
Now Telenor has partnered with Swedish e-mobility company CaCharge to offer charging services to Telenor’s customers in the property and municipal sectors in Sweden. Initially, the partnership will cover the market for property owners with broadband who supply services through Telenor. CaCharge’s solution will enable real estate owners, housing associations and municipalities to offer multiple charging sites. The system includes connected chargers, an app-based payment solution and load management to cut power peaks.
“Telenor is already connecting properties to TV and broadband, as well as digital services such as heating, water and ventilation control. The EV boom makes electric car charging an obvious part of this offering,” says Andreas Kristensson, Internet of Things Manager at Telenor. “Sweden is one of the countries with the highest proportion of chargeable cars. We are now taking the lead as charging and connected services are becoming an inseparable part of our daily lives.”
“As far as I know, this is the first time that a telecom company includes charging solutions in its range of services,” says CaCharge’s CEO, Kurt Högnelid. “The rest of Europe is looking at our solutions for blocks of flats and workplaces.”
Sources: CaCharge, Telenor Sweden