New data from the Norwegian EV Association shows shorter queues, better coverage, and fewer payment headaches in Denmark. But on the busiest summer days, a little planning still goes a long way.
Denmark is getting easier to travel by electric car. That is the finding of the latest edition of Elbilisten, the Norwegian EV Association’s annual survey, in which nearly 15,000 Norwegian EV drivers shared their experiences on the road. Norwegians are a particularly relevant benchmark here: they come from Europe’s most mature EV market and put the charging networks of both Denmark and Sweden to the test every summer.
The headline conclusion is that challenges remain, but noticeably fewer drivers are reporting problems than just a year ago.
Charging coverage on the rise
According to the survey, 22 percent of Norwegian EV drivers who travelled in Denmark found fast-charging coverage insufficient. Last year, that figure stood at 28 percent. A six-percentage-point drop in a single year is a meaningful shift, and a sign that the rapid expansion of Denmark’s charging network is beginning to make a practical difference.
Queue times are also improving. In 2025, 19 percent of respondents reported waiting at fast chargers in Denmark. In 2026, that number has fallen to 16 percent. For Danish EV drivers, it means a summer road trip through the country is increasingly something you can do without the anxious route-planning that once came with the territory.
More than 5,000 fast chargers
Jørn Grønkjær, chairman of the Danish EV Association, points to the country’s sharp rise in EV sales as a key factor behind the infrastructure investment.
For holiday travellers, that density matters. A denser network means less stress, fewer detours, and a better chance of finding a free charger when the car and the family both need a break.
Paying at the pump is getting simpler
One of the persistent frustrations of EV travel has been payment: too many apps, too many operators, too many small surprises at the charger. That too is improving.
In 2025, 19 percent of Norwegian drivers reported payment problems at fast chargers in Denmark. This year, the figure has dropped to 15 percent. Still too many, but the trend is moving in the right direction and makes EV travel more accessible for drivers who simply want to get from A to B without juggling five different apps.
Skagen can still cause queues
Even with the positive numbers, Grønkjær advises some forward thinking during peak season, particularly at the most popular destinations.
Good advice for Danish drivers too. If you are heading to North Jutland, coastal summer house areas, or the major ferry routes, charging before the pressure peaks is still the smart move.
Sweden also making progress
Sweden receives particular attention in the survey as the most popular destination for Norwegian travellers. Statistics Norway records 1.8 million Norwegian trips to Sweden last year, while Denmark came third with 588,000 trips.
Sweden is also improving. The share of drivers finding fast-charging coverage insufficient there dropped from 31 percent in 2025 to 26 percent in 2026, while queue experiences fell from 28 to 21 percent and payment problems declined from 23 to 18 percent.
Norwegian EV driver Magnus Evenstad, who has made the trip to Sweden several years running, reports a noticeably more mature experience.
EV travel needs less backup planning
The Nordic region is getting easier to navigate by electric car. Denmark has significantly more fast chargers, fewer drivers are queuing, and payment is working more smoothly. Sweden is moving in the same direction.
That does not mean you should leave without any plan at all. On busy summer days and at popular destinations, chargers can still come under pressure. But EV travel is no longer a test of patience. For most drivers, it is becoming something far more straightforward: an ordinary car trip.
