Danish charging operator Clever has launched an eye-catching new campaign aimed squarely at diesel car owners, marking what it calls a major turning point on Denmark’s roads. The campaign features a huge scaffold banner with a slightly tongue-in-cheek message:
“DIESEL: Thanks for this time. We are now more than you on Danish roads.”
Shared by Clever on Facebook, the banner underlines a milestone moment for electric mobility in Denmark: electric cars have now overtaken diesel vehicles in total numbers.
From alternative to new baseline
In a press release, Christina Fink from Clever describes the shift as more than just symbolic.
“The electric car is moving from being an alternative to becoming the new starting point. Diesel has been overtaken, and traffic has changed direction. But it’s important that we don’t see this as a finish line,” she says.
According to Fink, the breakthrough brings responsibility with it. Clever’s task remains to make the transition to electric cars simple and safe, ensuring that even more drivers feel confident replacing fossil-fuel cars with EVs.
Early investments laid the groundwork
Clever stresses that this development did not happen by accident. Early investments and broad partnerships are highlighted as key drivers behind Denmark’s strong EV adoption.
“Together with Andel, we invested in charging infrastructure at a time when the market was not yet mature. It was a deliberate choice to act early because we believed in the breakthrough of electric cars,” Fink explains.
“That decision has given Denmark a head start, which today benefits EV drivers.”
Today, Clever operates more than 57,500 charging points across Denmark. However, building such an extensive charging network has required significant financial resources.
Heavy losses behind the expansion
Despite its strong presence, Clever has reported financial losses for several consecutive years. In 2024, the company posted a deficit of 150 million DKK, marking its fifth year in a row with a negative result. The most challenging year was 2022, when losses reached 365 million DKK.
A playful goodbye to diesel
The banner campaign is accompanied by a direct farewell on social media. In one Facebook post, Clever writes:
“Thank you for now, diesel. We’ll take it from here 🤝”
While electric cars have now surpassed diesel vehicles, petrol cars still dominate the Danish car parc. Denmark currently has more than 500,000 electric cars, but as of January 2026 there were still over 1.6 million petrol cars registered, according to the Danish Motor Register.
