Case: Osuuskauppa Elanto cooperative retail store, Helsinki

The first public charging station at the HOK-Elanto group was opened in September 2012, and today it is possible to charge an electric vehicle, or EV, at a total of 12 Prisma hypermarket and two S-market locations. In addition, the 4 fast-charging stations at HOK-Elanto’s ABC service stations are part of the ABC chain’s network of 29 charging stations across Finland. About 50% of HOK-Elanto’s current electricity consumption, including that used at its charging points, is wind-power generated.

HOK-Elanto’s starting point was the desire to promote more sustainable modes of transport and to have EV charging points installed at their locations. An important criterion in the construction of charging points was that it should be possible to utilise the data they collect. Another requirement was that, from the customer’s standpoint, charging should be safe, and seamless.

“Electricity is one of the alternative fuels of the future, enabling us to improve the quality of air in the city, and reduce the noise pollution of traffic. CO2 emissions are also reduced by using renewable energy”, states Satu Kattilamäki, Quality and Environmental Manager at HOK-Elanto.

HHOK-Elanto has been among the first organisation to have EV chargers installed, and at the same time is one of Plugit Finland’s longest-term clients. During this long-lasting cooperation, there has been an enormous increase in the volume of electric transport, and the number of charging events at HOK-Elanto locations has also grown significantly. Plugit’s reporting services have been integrated into HOK-Elanto’s charging system network, whereby the charging device events at the charging points can be monitored by location, by charging point and by user. The system also allows you to keep track, for example, of the number and costs of charging events, as well as the volume of CO2 emissions that have thus been reduced.

Safety in charging, customer service – these have also been of extreme importance to HOK-Elanto. For many EV motorists, HOK-Elanto Prisma locations were the first public charging place they ever used. Most charging points at HOK-Elanto locations operate by text message activation. Serving the customer and offering advice on both charging point and chargeable vehicle are a good way of enhancing the image of electric motoring as a whole. In their cooperation, HOK-Elanto and Plugit Finland have focused on creating an extremely good customer experience from the point of view of charging as well as of electric transport. Successful, straightforward charging brings positive experiences in the introduction of a new mode of transport, which HOK-Elanto has always supported.

”HOK-Elanto has been among the first to build charging stations. During their construction and implementation it has been important for us to obtain data on utilisation per charging point, and that they should be safe and easy for the customer to use. With the aid of the data collected, we can assess whether they have been situated in the optimal locations, and whether there is a demand for this service in the area in question. Plugit has been able to answer these requirements”, says Kattilamäki.

For more information, please contact:

​Plugit Finland Oy, Topi Aaltonen, Sales and Marketing Manager, phone +358 (0) 46 810 1684

In brief about HOK-Elanto:

HOK-Elanto is the largest regional cooperative store in the S-Group of cooperative retail stores in Finland. With the most extensive ownership in the country, the company has over 600 000 customer-owners. Over 300 business locations in 9 regions, over 250 000 customer transactions daily and almost 6 000 employees.