Iceland's fast-charging network: winter 2026 status report
ON, Ísorka, N1, and Tesla — we mapped every 50 kW+ stall on the Ring Road, with uptime data and the gaps you still need to plan around.
Winter is the real test
Every charging network looks good in July. The interesting question is how it performs at -8°C with snow on the cabinets. We polled 312 EV drivers across the autos.is community during October and November 2026.
The big four operators, ranked
1. ON (Orka náttúrunnar) — A-
The dominant network, ~60% of Iceland's public DC capacity. Reliability 4.4/5. The new 150kW units at Vík, Borgarnes, and Selfoss are excellent. The app finally got a gloved-finger-friendly UI refresh. Main gripe: three pricing tiers is two too many.
2. N1 — B+
Coverage along the Ring Road is now strong, particularly south and east. Speed varies by site. App is functional but unloved. Customer service responsive.
3. Ísorka — B
Smaller network, mostly in the southwest. Best app of the four. Limited coverage outside greater Reykjavík.
4. Tesla Supercharger — A (for Tesla owners) / B+ (for everyone else)
Now open to non-Tesla CCS at all four Icelandic sites. Reliability exceptional. Non-Tesla pricing ~25% higher.
Real winter speeds, observed at -5°C
| Site | Rated | Actual | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ON Vík 150kW | 150 kW | 120–135 kW | Excellent |
| N1 Selfoss 100kW | 100 kW | 78–88 kW | Battery preconditioning helps |
| Ísorka Hafnarfjörður 50kW | 50 kW | 47–50 kW | Cold barely matters at 50kW |
| Tesla Supercharger Selfoss | 250 kW | 180–210 kW | Best in class |
Preconditioning matters. Cars that arrived preheated hit rated speeds in 2 minutes. Cars that arrived cold took 8–12 minutes ramping up.
Reliability — the big honest number
94.1% of sessions completed on first attempt, up from 91% a year ago. Top failure causes:
- Charger out of service (38%)
- Payment system glitch (24%) — backup RFID card avoids this
- Cable too short / awkward parking (18%)
- Car-side fault (12%)
- Network outage (8%)
Coverage gaps still worth knowing
- Westfjords interior: chargers at Ísafjörður and Patreksfjörður, little between
- North coast Húsavík → Vopnafjörður: long stretches with only 22 kW AC
- Highland F-roads: nothing — plan accordingly
What's coming by spring 2027
- 350 kW ultra-fast site at Akureyri (ON)
- Tesla v4 expansion at three Ring Road sites
- AC L2 coverage at major Westfjords guesthouses
Bottom line for winter
If you have a long-range EV (75 kWh+) and you precondition the battery, the network in winter 2026 genuinely supports normal Icelandic driving. The "are we there yet" tipping point passed in 2025.