What EV charging will look like this summer 2026

This summer we expect the roads to be busy. With expensive plane tickets, cancelled departures and more, more and more people are looking inward to their own country for that holiday feeling. Here's what that means for you if you're planning to drive and charge your EV on the road this summer.

Norwegians' holiday plans this summer

Elton always expects a large increase in traffic during summer. People don't just charge on their way to their holiday destination — they also charge at stations near those destinations, throughout the entire summer. Last July, we at Elton saw a doubling of the number of charging sessions on the road compared to May.

Charging demand is more than twice as high in July as in May, and remains elevated well into August.

But this summer we actually expect even more traffic than last year, across the entire country. According to P4's survey on Norwegians' holiday plans, 1 in 5 have either changed or are considering changing their holiday plans due to the global situation, and a holiday in Norway is already the most popular choice for many this summer.*

* Data from P4's survey on Norwegians' summer plans 2026, conducted by Opinion.

A joint start to the joint holiday season*

Many people travelling around Norway means many people at chargers, in new places, and often at the same time. The last weekend in June is when we at Elton expect the highest charging demand of the entire season. Last year Elton saw twice as many charging sessions on the road that weekend compared to the week after — so if you can, travel either before or after this period.

Whether you're a seasoned EV holiday traveller or completely new to it, we have a few tips for you this summer:

Prepare for high demand at popular locations. Find an alternative charging stop on the most popular routes, such as along the E18 towards the South Coast.
Plan your route in advance, so you know roughly when and where you should charge.
Download Elton, so you can easily charge and pay anywhere in Norway all summer long, no matter where you're headed.

*My best attempt at translating "fellesferie" the nordic summertime in july when everyone and their mom is on holiday.

How do I charge here, anyway?

Have you ever asked yourself this question on holiday? We have. But EV charging doesn't have to be complicated, no matter where you're going this summer. Check out all the operators Elton supports here, or view them directly in the app. With the standard filter active in the app, you can see all chargers where you can charge and pay with Elton — so you'll never have to wonder how to charge at a new location again.

Plan your charging stops for maximum holiday time, minimum charging time.

Going on a long trip with your EV? Add your route in the app and get recommended stops, filtered by what you need. Check for available chargers in real time at your location (best done by a passenger), and easily find a free charger with everything you need for a great charging break.

Charge across networks — all the way through the Nordics.

Wondering how far Elton can take you? We're going to find out this summer! Victor from Elton is, for example, driving an EV from Larvik to Narvik using just one charging app (Elton, of course) — to prove that you only need one solution to charge all summer long, wherever you go in the Nordics.

Charging doesn't have to be a challenge. With Elton, you have a shared charging solution for Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland — so you simply charge the same way no matter where you go, even if the roads get a little extra busy this summer. Today you'll find over 78,000 chargers in the app from providers including Allego, Circle K, Clever, St1, Eon, EVbox, Ionity, Klataus, Kople, Monta, OKQ8, Uno-X, Porsche, Powered by Eon & Clever, Ragde Charge, Recharge, Spirii, EBS Charge, Ishavsveien, Virta, Mer and Tesla charging stations in the Elton app.

Happy summer charging!