More than half of Finns would choose a hybrid or fully electric vehicle as their next car – the pace of the energy transition is accelerating
E-mobility is centrally linked to Finland's 2035 carbon neutrality target, as driving an electric car is emission-free. In spring 2021, the Finnish government outlined means for reducing emissions from road transport, aiming at halving emissions from transport by 2030.
By summer 2021, approximately one third of chargeable hybrid and electric cars in Finland were registered in Caruna's network area. The aim is to have around 700,000 electric cars and 45,000 electric vans in Finland in 2030, of which at least half would be fully electric.
The main criteria for choosing a car are lifecycle costs, home charging and the price of electricity
According to the citizens' survey, more than half (55%) of Finns would choose a hybrid or fully electric vehicle as their next car. People living in South Finland and people aged 25–44 would choose a hybrid or fully electric car more than other age groups.
Purchasing decisions are particularly influenced by the possibility to "fill up", i.e. charge the car at home (49%), the lifecycle costs of chargeable cars (46%) and the price of electricity compared to petrol (46%).
51% of people living in East Finland considered the lifecycle costs of a car a very important feature compared to West Finland, where 43% assessed lifecycle costs as very important. Among all respondents, home charging was slightly more important for men (85%) than for women (83%).
Three out of four Finns consider low emissions an important feature from the viewpoint of attractiveness when buying a hybrid or electric car. Regionally, low emissions are considered very or fairly important in East and North Finland by 69% of respondents, compared to 76% in South Finland and 75% in West Finland.
"The interest in chargeable cars is also visible in our network areas. The largest numbers of chargeable passenger cars are currently in Espoo, Kirkkonummi, Tuusula and Kaarina. It is forecast that there will be nearly 240,000 chargeable hybrids or electric cars in Caruna's area by 2030, reflecting the accelerating pace of the energy transition," says Caruna's Innovation Manager Mika Suomi.
A resilient distribution network is a decisive factor – instantaneous power demand will increase significantly
In 2021, Finland has a charging network of approximately 4,600 public charging points and approximately 400 fast charging points, and the network will grow rapidly in the coming years. The network is densest in Uusimaa, Pirkanmaa and Southwest Finland and the least dense in Lapland and Kainuu.
"A prerequisite for electric transport in the future is a resilient and well-functioning electricity distribution network. The adequacy of distribution network capacity is also linked to e-mobility, in particular the charging of electric vehicles. Even if not all EV drivers in Finland charge their cars with fast or high-power chargers at exactly the same time, the distribution network must still be able to withstand the unexpected power peaks that occur alongside all other electricity use," continues Mika Suomi.