Swedish political parties clash over fuel policy after investigative documentary

A Swedish public broadcaster documentary on fuel prices and the shift to electric vehicles has sparked sharp criticism from opposition parties, with the Centre Party calling the government’s policy a “total disaster” and the Sweden Democrats labelling Norway’s electric car incentives a “horror example,” SVT Nyheter reports.

The documentary, Vid Pump (“At the Pump”), examines how the government’s cuts to fuel taxes and reduced biofuel blending requirements—key election promises—have slowed the growth of electric vehicle (EV) sales. The government also abolished the general EV purchase bonus shortly after taking office in 2022.

Rickard Nordin, climate policy spokesperson for the Centre Party, accused the government of actively preserving fossil fuels. “It’s a total disaster. Oil companies are laughing all the way to the bank, while we know we need to phase this out and cut emissions,” he said.

Martin Kinnunen, climate policy spokesperson for the Sweden Democrats, dismissed the criticism, arguing Sweden’s fossil fuel use is not unusually high by European standards. He instead criticised Norway’s EV policies as wasteful, noting the country’s tax exemptions for electric cars cost 17 billion kronor (€1.5bn) last year alone. “Norway’s EV policy is a horror example,” he said.

Sweden’s EV market has stagnated at around 40% of new car sales—unchanged from three years ago—while neighbouring Denmark reached 67% last year and Norway 96%. The government has introduced a limited EV subsidy for low-income rural households, covering up to 64,800 kronor (€5,700) per vehicle, with EU funding covering 75% of the cost. So far, 4,000 applications have been submitted.

The Centre Party has proposed a broader 5 billion kronor (€440m) subsidy, offering 50,000 kronor (€4,400) for purchases or 2,000 kronor (€175) monthly for leasing. Both the government’s and the Centre Party’s schemes apply to new and used EVs.