From Fjords to Mountains – Greenstation opens new charging station in Eastern Norway

The Greenstation Concept

The concept was developed through DOGA's Design-Driven Innovation Program (DIP), where the company was awarded 0.5 million NOK to uncover the needs and desires of electric car and hydrogen car owners when it comes to charging and refueling.

Since its inception, Greenstation has been focused on designing a tailored charging concept for Norwegian electric vehicle owners, including seamless charging, station design and architecture, focus on ripple effects and value creation around a charging station, as well as dynamic and fair pricing.

The pilot station in Straume was soon recognized as possibly the country's best charging station after its completion in 2021 and has since received several international design awards. In recent years, Greenstation has opened charging stations further north of Bergen, in Byrkjelo, and has now made its entrance in Eastern Norway – specifically in Gjøvik.

From Western Fjords to Eastern Mountains

Greenstation Gjøvik opened its charging station already at the beginning of the year and marked this summer's expansion with an official opening attended by both local and visiting electric vehicle drivers, local businesses, and Mayor Torvild Sveen.

“What characterizes Gjøvik is that we have many who use Gjøvik as a stopping point.

We have collaborated with municipal employees from the advisory side, the planning side, and the management of Greenstation, who have been willing to listen to the input we have had. This is the third Greenstation station established in Norway. Based on the experiences we have had here in Gjøvik, I can confidently recommend other municipalities to facilitate Greenstation stations in their home municipality.

We have experienced this as a very positive experience, and we strongly recommend having these types of stations that make it easy for travelers to reach, easy for travelers to use, and importantly, beneficial for residents who also need these products..”

– Mayor Torvild Sveen, Gjøvik Municipality.

Greenstation thinks holistically, and even though they currently only offer electricity, their long-term ambitions include facilitating safe, good, and efficient hydrogen refueling.

In the same comprehensive context, Greenstation collaborates closely with local businesses, private landowners, and the public by facilitating charging stations in central hubs where added value can be created in ripple effects. The opening of Greenstation in Gjøvik is a prime example of this.

“My relationship with Greenstation is that I am a landowner and have rented out the space to Greenstation here in Gjøvik. So, we collaborate and will have a complete offering with charging and car wash. A very nice collaboration, and to have everything in one place.”

– Thomas Hovda, Landowner and Managing Director, Pitlane Bilvask AS

The Road Ahead

What started as an idea during a mini-Europe tour in 2018, where Greenstation's CEO, Vegard Frihammer, with his family, took an electric car trip to Denmark, has now become three of Norway's most seamless charging experiences, but the journey doesn't stop there.

Several locations have already been designated as destinations for Greenstation's next charging stations around the country.

In addition to expanding the number of charging stations, Greenstation continues to work on further developing its innovative and user-centered concept and has now installed pricing displays at all its charging stations. Electric cars and charging stations are still a relatively new concept, considering our conventional fuel filling patterns. These usage patterns have partly been influenced by the pricing displays along the roads. They signal both the variable price, which also affects electricity, and serve as a clear indication to bypassers about where and from whom one can refuel.

“It's very positive that you can see the price they're selling the electricity for.”

– Odd Egil Hegg, satisfied customer. 

Since 2018, the number of electric cars along Norwegian roads has increased by 200%, from 195,351 in 2018 to 599,169 by the end of 2022. Alongside the growing number of electric cars, more and more charging stations are being built, more providers are entering the field, prices vary with markets and providers, but with the rapid growth, it might also become more challenging to keep track. Charging an electric car is cheaper than filling conventional fuel, but it's not free – something that last year's power crisis made very clear.

We look forward to the continuation and eagerly follow the next chapter in the Greenstation adventure.

Les mer om Greenstation på deres hjemmesider.