– This came like lightning from the blue, says Easee founder Jonas Helmikstøl to Dagens Næringsliv. Easee is a Sandnes-based company that has grown big in the electric car charger market, and has sold around 700,000 electric car chargers throughout Europe. However, they are largest in Scandinavia. And now sales in Sweden are stopped. Part of the criticism from Swedish supervisory authorities is that the Easee Home charger should not meet the requirement for earth-fault circuit breakers, and that there is also no information that one should be installed outside of it. Questions are also being asked about Easee Home’s DC protection. Easee chargers. Photo: Gunnar Morsund / news Anker It is pointed out that a lack of earth fault circuit breaker and DC protection increases the risk of fire. In a letter to Easee, it was warned that the company’s chargers risked being banned from sale, and that the company could be forced to recall the product from customers. Here they write, among other things: “The product does not meet the basic safety requirements to be sold on the market”. It has led to a storm around the company, according to a number of media outlets that have covered the matter. Easee, which has its head office in Sandnes in Rogaland, writes in a press release that it is appealing the Swedish Safety Agency’s decision. – We strongly disagree with the decision and will do everything we can to look after customers, partners and employees. Our main focus has always been people and safety, says founder and general manager, Jonas Helmikstøl, according to a press release. The picture was taken in the premises of the Norwegian charging company Easee in Sandnes. Photo: Tom Edvindsen / news Easee writes in the press release that the sales ban only applies to Sweden. May also apply in Norway But the National Communications Authority (Nkom), a possible sales suspension of the charger in Sweden may also apply in Norway, as the countries are part of the same EEA regulation. — Common European rules apply. If the product does not satisfy those rules, and there are serious violations, and if a marketing ban comes into effect, we must follow it up on the Norwegian side, John-Eivind Velure, director of the spectrum department at Nkom, has previously said. Helmikstøl reassures Norwegian customers, saying that they can still charge safely without taking any action. – We will continue to fight against this decision, and to work for a greener future and innovative products. Safe to use, according to Easee Easee emphasizes that there have been no incidents that form the basis for the imposed sales ban, which is also highlighted in the Swedish Safety Agency’s report. They also specify that there is no risk of injury to people or products when using an Easee charger. Now they are working on an appeal, and a so-called temporary injunction against immediate accession. If it is accepted, the sales ban will end, Easee writes in a press release. Many customers have also been concerned and contacted the company. Easee has previously denied to news that there are problems with the charger. – We have reassured everyone who has contacted us that there is nothing to worry about. Customers can charge in the same way as before, said Easee’s Nordic PR manager, Kenneth Bjerga, to news in February. Kenneth Bjerga is Nordic PR manager at Easee. Photo: Tom Edvinsen / news It is now clear that the supervisory authorities will no longer allow the sale of the popular chargers. It is currently unknown what economic consequences the sales ban will have. There may be consequences Charging expert at NAF, Jan Tore Gjøby, tells news that there may be consequences for existing electric car chargers. But who will possibly be responsible is not clear. He himself cannot say much about the Easee product itself. – The challenge is that they have not shared much about how their box works. In the industry, it is quite common to be transparent about security measures in such products. But Easee hasn’t had that, he says. Jan Tore Gjøby, charging expert at NAF. Photo: Marita Lundsrud Berg The company Easee was established in 2018 by three entrepreneurs. Today they have close to 500 employees. The company has grown at record speed, and from 2019 to 2021 they went from having a turnover of NOK 94 million to NOK 1.4 billion.
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Swedish authorities stop the sale of Easee chargers – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
