Easee announced its decision today to withdraw the lawsuit against the Swedish regulatory authority, Elsäkerhetsverket, regarding the sales ban on Home and Charge products in Sweden.

“The lawsuit was not about the safety of the products. Our decision to withdraw the lawsuit is strategic: we want to prioritise safety, ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, and focus on dialogue,” says Easee’s interim CEO, Erik Færevaag.

Pluss

Facts

  • ESV (Elsäkerhetsverket) imposed a sales ban on Easee Home and Charge on 14th March 2023.
  • Voluntary sales suspension: Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Iceland.
  • Countries with sales ban: Sweden.
  • The deadline to report an action plan for the installed chargers in Sweden was 14th March 2024. The action plan has been implemented.
  • There is no automatic guarantee that the measures regarding the installed chargers will be adopted by other EEA countries.

On the 14th March 2023, Elsäkerhetsverket stopped the sale of Home and Charge products. At the same time, they issued a requirement for actions to address the already installed chargers in the country.

When Elsäkerhetsverket issued the sales ban, they justified it by stating that the products did not meet the requirements of relevant standards when they were released to the market.

Easee took the matter to court, and the Swedish Administrative Court was to determine whether the sales ban and the remediation requirements were justified.

Inadequate Documentation

Easee acknowledges that the technical documentation for Easee Home and Easee Charge were insufficient when the products were brought to the market, and that the labelling and conformity declarations did not meet the formal requirements of the standards.

“We want to recognize Elsäkerhetsverket’s work in upholding industry standards and consumer safety. They have identified clear areas for improvement, and this has been an important learning experience for us,” says Lene Kristin Wilhelmsen, Director of Legal and Compliance at Easee.

The Installed Chargers

Alongside the legal proceedings, Easee has presented an action plan to Elsäkerhetsverket.

“Easee has thoroughly tested the charging boxes and updated the technical documentation in consultation with independent and accredited testing bodies. The new technical documentation, the conformity declaration, and the labelling of the chargers now meet the formal requirements,” says Færevaag.

Easee submitted its action plan by the 14th March 2024 deadline and is now awaiting feedback.

“We want to address the deficiencies that Elsäkerhetsverket pointed out in their original decision. At the same time, we have requested guidance if they are not satisfied with the methodology we are using to demonstrate that we meet industry standards,” says Wilhelmsen.

Green Light from Switzerland

Several countries chose to conduct their own investigations of Easee Home and Easee Charge following the sales ban in Sweden. On 14th March 2024, Switzerland approved the updated technical documentation.

“We have been proactive in our dialogue with other countries, sharing updated tests and documents. We saw the results of this in Switzerland on the 14th March,” says Færevaag.

In Switzerland, emphasis was put on the test reports and statements from independent experts, including those from the accredited testing body: TÜV SÜD. The statements confirm that the charging boxes are safe and that the documentation supports this.

Other countries have chosen to wait for the outcome of the Swedish court case before deciding on a potential sales ban.

“We have informed the relevant authorities that we will withdraw the lawsuit in Sweden. Now, we are focused on finding good solutions together with them, our partners, and the industry,” says Færevaag.

An Intense Year

The sales ban in Sweden had significant consequences for Easee, leading to lay offs of several hundred employees in August 2023. That same month, the company launched Charge Lite, the first of several upcoming charging boxes in a new product line.

Kjetil Næsje, Chairman of Easee, explains that the past year has been challenging.

“The last year has been intense, with major changes and improvement efforts. At the same time, the Company has managed to allocate significant resources to bringing new products to market. This speaks volumes about the strength of this organisation,” says Næsje.

Erik Færevaag took on the role of interim CEO in October 2023.

“The first priority was to get the company back on track, and we have succeeded, thanks to the employees, strong partnerships, and investors who have great faith in both the people and the product. Now we want to look ahead,” says Næsje.