EV Charging Index: Expert insight from Romania

By Szabolcs Nemes and Dragos Fundulea

Romania’s score rose by seven points in the latest Charging Index thanks to a significant improvement in customer satisfaction with the charging experience. However, there remains a strong need for further development in public charging infrastructure to enhance sufficiency, along with a swifter increase in EV adoption to fully realize Romania’s potential in e-mobility.

Continued growth in EV adoption and charging infrastructure

Romania’s EV market continued its growth, albeit more slowly than previous years. 2023 concluded with an impressive milestone of over 15,000 new fully electric vehicles registered, approximately a third more than 2022. Subsidies remained a key driver, while competition within the market has increased: since 2022, there has been notable diversification in both fully electric (BEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models available, with around 40% of new passenger cars models sold in Romania now chargeable. While the change in EV penetration rate was minimal, Romania maintained its leadership in EV adoption in Central and Eastern Europe, falling just short of the EU average.

Romania’s charging infrastructure saw a 50% year-on-year increase in the number of charging locations. Its vehicle-to-public-charge-point ratio of 14.2 is slightly better than the European and global averages, although it deteriorated compared to 2022. The country boasts a strong penetration of fast charging infrastructure, which is double the European average. The slight decline compared to 2022 was largely driven by the commissioning of numerous AC charging points financed through the government’s Electric Up program.

High consumer satisfaction with EV charging experience

Romania is among the European countries with the highest satisfaction levels for charging experience, with around 87% of EV owners noting easier public charging in the past six months. However, two key improvement areas were frequently mentioned: the size of the public charging infrastructure (with 57% of EV owners finding it insufficient) and the speed of public charging, although this has improved since last year. The continued rollout of high-speed charging hubs of 150 kW and above has helped addressed rising demand for quick, efficient charging.

Public charging is slightly more popular in Romania than elsewhere in Europe. This trend aligns with the slightly lower penetration of home charging infrastructure in Romania relative to the broader European market.

E-mobility market will continue to mature in 2024

The local e-mobility landscape in 2024 is poised for interesting developments. One significant change is the halving of government EV subsidies from EUR 10,000 to around EUR 5,000. While this reduction indicates a move towards a more self-sustaining market, it is expected to temporarily slow down EV demand, as evidenced by the lower growth rate in EV sales during the first five months of the year.

Conversely, public charging infrastructure remains dynamic, driven by ambitious private and public initiatives. As 2026 approaches, Romania must accelerate the installation of public chargers to meet its ambitious target of around 30,000points. Large projects are already underway, including one key player securing funding for over 4,000 charging points and another aiming for 1,000 points by the end of 2024.

Meanwhile, the market is seeing the first signs of consolidation, as shown by notable moves like the acquisition of the largest independent charge point operator by a leading energy group at the beginning of 2024. Companies are also adapting their services as the market matures, evidenced by the phasing out of free charging services nationwide. Even municipal public charging stations, previously known for their free offering, have recently transitioned to a paid model, marking an important step in the development of an economically viable charging infrastructure.