How Does Christmas Impact Charging Demand?

With the holidays approaching, EV driving patterns shift noticeably. More road trips, busier fast chargers, and sharp lunchtime peaks, especially along Sweden's highways.

Occupancy nearly doubled in a week

Comparing Monday December 15th to Monday December 22nd reveals the scale of the shift. Fast charging occupancy in Sweden nearly doubled, jumping from 6.4% to 11.2%, a 76% increase in just one week. Meanwhile, estimated sold energy increased by 36% over the same period, from 937 GWh to 1,274 GWh.

Lunchtime peaks were the sharpest shift

The hourly patterns tell an even more dramatic story. More than every fourth fast charger in Sweden was occupied during lunch time on December 22nd, representing a 116% increase compared to the same time slot the previous Monday. The pre-holiday travel rush created sharp demand spikes that static capacity planning struggles to accommodate.

Highways outpaced the cities

Geographically, sites along well-traveled routes experienced higher demand increases compared to major cities. The Odeshog site cluster along the E4 highway saw a 136% increase, while Stockholm, Malmo, and Goteborg recorded more modest gains of 15-48%. This underscores a critical insight: holiday demand is not distributed evenly, and operators who understand geographic demand patterns can prepare accordingly.