E.ON and Clever to split up Scandinavian charging network
The Powered by E.ON Drive & Clever joint venture is set to dissolve after eight years in business. The network's existing 157 fast-charging stations will now be divided up between the joint venture partners and an external third party.
‘Powered by E.ON Drive & Clever ‘ currently operates 37 motorway fat charging sites across Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. Until now, these sites were owned by a 50:50 joint venture between E.ON Drive Infrastructure and Clever. After eight years, however, the partners are dissolving the joint venture, with the charging sites set to be redistributed; Clever will take over the Danish stations, E.ON Drive Infrastructure (EDRI) the Swedish ones, with the Norwegian sites going to the previously uninvolved company Uno-X Mobility.
To be clear, Clever will acquire all six Danish motorway sites from the joint venture’s charging network, comprising a total of 48 high-powered charging stations, and plans to integrate them into its own public network before the end of the year. As part of an additional, separate transaction, it will also take over a large charging hub from E.ON Drive Infrastructure on the E45 motorway (exit 56 ‘Horsens West’), which includes 14 charging points.
Meanwhile, E.ON Drive Infrastructure will become the sole owner of the 19 motorway sites in Sweden, which include a total of 80 high-power charging points. In Norway, Uno-X Mobility Norge AS – the aforementioned third party – will assume ownership and operation of the twelve Norwegian sites.
The dissolution of the joint venture ‘Powered by E.ON Drive & Clever’ marks a further consolidation of the Scandinavian charging market. The company was founded in 2018 by E.ON Drive Infrastructure (EDRI) and Clever to facilitate long-distance travel with electric cars across Scandinavia. “Our goal has remained the same as when we launched ‘Powered by E.ON Drive & Clever’,” commented Mathias Langkilde Sukstof, responsible for network strategy at Clever. “It should be easy to drive an electric car.” The only difference now is that the charging stations will be integrated into their respective providers’ networks.
Recently, Vattenfall InCharge announced the acquisition of Nima Energy’s high-power charging business in Sweden. Almost simultaneously, the Norwegian charging infrastructure company Eviny Fast Charging and Statkraft subsidiary Mer announced their merger. The redistribution of ‘Powered by E.ON Drive & Clever’ among E.ON Drive Infrastructure, Clever, and Uno-X therefore represents a key next transaction in Scandinavia’s dynamic competitive landscape.