Eldrive Romania has accelerated the expansion of its electric vehicle charging network ahead of market demand, investing in high-power charging hubs to support the growth of electric passenger cars and commercial vehicles, Elena Mandache, Brand Director at Eldrive Romania, said during the Sustainability in Business Forum, organised by Sustainability Today and The Diplomat-Bucharest.
“When it comes to passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, I believe we are two years ahead of demand. We accelerated our investment and network expansion because trust is essential for the transition to electromobility,” Mandache said.
However, the adoption of electric vehicles has not kept pace with the company’s infrastructure rollout, she added.
Romania has nearly 80,000 electric cars and approximately 10,000 public charging points, according to figures cited by Mandache, equivalent to around eight electric vehicles per public charging point.
She noted that private EV owners rely heavily on home charging, with Eldrive’s data indicating that around 80% of its individual customers charge predominantly at home.
“Consumers have made an economic decision, first and foremost, by choosing sustainability solutions such as solar panels and home energy storage to reduce costs and recover the cost of their electric vehicle over a relatively short period,” Mandache said.
While private consumers have increasingly adopted electric mobility, companies have been more hesitant to make the transition, Mandache said.
Romania still has relatively few fully electric corporate fleets, while the electrification of heavy-duty transport remains at an early stage. The country currently has around 50 electric trucks, according to the figures she cited.
Eldrive is seeking to address this gap by developing high-power charging infrastructure designed to meet the needs of commercial transport operators.
“One concrete example is Blue River, whose 15 electric trucks charge at Eldrive with confidence. Why? Because we focused on high-power charging hubs and invested in charging stations that were ahead of their time,” she said.
Eldrive has launched what Mandache described as Romania’s first 1 MW charging station, which is also the first of its kind in Eastern Europe, according to her statement. The installation can deliver up to 600 kW through a single connector.
The investment reflects the growing need for charging infrastructure capable of supporting electric trucks, which require higher charging power and suitable locations along major transport corridors.
Eldrive is continuing to expand its network towards the Black Sea, including through a new charging hub in Drajna. The development is intended to provide charging coverage along the motorway route towards the coast and enable electric trucks to stop at high-power charging locations during their journeys.
The next stage involves developing dedicated spaces for commercial vehicles and adding services that improve the experience for professional drivers, Mandache said.
“Our next step is to create dedicated locations and spaces, with additional services,” she said.
The company plans to develop approximately 10 hybrid charging hubs nationwide, serving both electric trucks and passenger cars. Five of these locations are expected to include additional services designed to make stops more comfortable and improve drivers’ experience while charging.
The expansion highlights the importance of combining charging capacity with suitable facilities as Romania’s transport sector gradually moves towards electrification.
