Slow electric truck uptake hits Kempower as charging network stalls
Thursday 5th November 2026 on 16:01 in
Finland
Slow electrification of heavy transport is hurting manufacturers of fast-charging equipment, Yle reported. Lahti-based Kempower said on Wednesday it would begin restructuring talks as the construction of charging networks slows.
High prices for electric trucks, costly fast charging and delays in securing electricity connections are holding back the transition, according to experts.
Lassi Aarniovuori, a professor of electric transport at LUT University, said the charging network is expanding slowly because few electric trucks are available and they are expensive. Heavy transport is the largest user group for fast-charging equipment, he said, and needs much more power and energy than passenger cars. Long waits for high-capacity electricity connections and permitting procedures are also obstacles.
Charging networks are expanding slowly across the European Union. An EU regulation that took effect in 2023 requires member states to build adequate charging infrastructure. By the end of 2035, charging points for heavy transport should be available at set intervals along main roads. Aarniovuori said the target is ambitious and will not be met at the current pace.
Electric trucks need ten times the charging power of passenger cars, Aarniovuori said. Transport companies also struggle to afford the vehicles, while fast charging is expensive: the quicker the charge, the higher the electricity cost. He said companies should invest in their own charging systems, such as facilities at truck depots, to keep costs down.
Henri Parkkinen, a senior analyst at OP Pohjola who follows Kempower, said higher interest rates have reduced investment in charging networks. Electrification in heavy and commercial transport is also uneven, while inflation and political uncertainty have delayed Kempower customers’ purchasing decisions.
Parkkinen said investment in charging capacity has been made in advance, making rapid expansion unlikely in the near future. He still considers Kempower a growth company in the longer term, but said a recovery is more likely to take a few years than a few quarters.