INTERVIEW Camelia Popescu, Eldrive Romania: “We anticipate a steady but gradual increase in demand for EV charging infrastructure in Romania over the next few years”
Petre Barac
Posted On September 4, 2025
“At Eldrive Romania, we are committed to accelerating the EV transition—not just by expanding our network, but by building trust with our users. With strong funding, strategic partnerships, and a customer-first mindset, we’re not only reaching our 1,000-point target but laying the groundwork for a more sustainable transport future across the region,” Camelia Popescu, Country Manager Eldrive Romania, told Automotive Today.
“Our long-term vision is to position Eldrive as a regional leader in EV charging infrastructure across Southeast Europe. With the EIB-backed project aiming to deliver 8,472 charging points across Romania, Bulgaria, and Lithuania, we are building a cross-border, interoperable network that supports electric mobility across the region.
In Romania specifically, we aim to transition from just being a provider of infrastructure to becoming a key enabler of the EV ecosystem.”
Eldrive has recently expanded to 700 charging points across Romania. What were the main drivers behind this accelerated growth?
As of August 2025, Eldrive Romania reached 700 operational charging points, marking a significant acceleration from 500 just a few months earlier. Eldrive has built a nationwide EV charging network with over 700 active charging points and a growing user base exceeding 25,000 registered electric vehicle drivers by mid-2025. With a mission to make clean mobility accessible to everyone, Eldrive has expanded its infrastructure across more than 135 locations, not just in large cities, but also in medium-sized towns and underserved communities.
This rapid growth was driven by a combination of strategic investments and funding from both internal resources and external partners such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB).
The rapid and sustained deployment of EV charging stations in 2025 was made possible thanks to long-term strategic partnerships with strong national players such as Square 7, Antares, and Cometex (Altex). These collaborations allowed Eldrive to scale up infrastructure efficiently and with real impact across Romania.
Another key factor was our shift towards high-capacity charging hubs in high-traffic areas. For example, new locations like Shopping Park Slobozia where we host 14 charging points to significantly improve charging availability and convenience.
How do you plan to achieve the milestone of 1,000 charging points nationwide by the end of 2025?
This is achievable through a combination of strategies:
· Expanding ultra-fast charging hubs (200 kW, 300 kW, and 400 kW chargers);
· Partnering with major real estate developers such as Square 7, Antares, and Cometex (Altex group);
· Upgrading existing chargers and deploying multi-point locations where traffic demand justifies the investment.
Furthermore, the EIB’s €40 million InvestEU loan to Eldrive Group across Romania, Bulgaria, and Lithuania is key to building over 8,400 charging stations regionally—a significant portion of which will be in Romania.
Which regions of Romania are currently the top priority for further network expansion?
While we continue strengthening our presence in major urban centers, our strategic focus is shifting toward broader national coverage.
In particular, we are prioritizing expansion in the western and northwestern regions of Romania, where EV infrastructure is still developing and demand is rising rapidly. At the same time, we aim to further consolidate our already strong presence in the eastern part of the country, ensuring that we maintain our leadership position in a region where Eldrive’s network is already highly developed.
This balanced regional approach ensures that both emerging and mature EV markets across Romania receive the infrastructure needed to support continued electric mobility growth.
You’ve recently introduced two subscription models for lower charging costs. How do these plans fit into Eldrive’s broader customer-centric strategy?
The launch of two subscription plans—Eldrive Smart (29 RON/month) and Eldrive Pro (55 RON/month)—reflects our commitment to accessible and affordable EV charging. Eldrive Smart offers 250 discounted charging units per month at 1.90 RON/unit. Eldrive Pro reduces the cost further to 1.75 RON/unit.
Compared to the standard rate of 2.55 RON/unit, these plans offer up to 20% savings.
This aligns with our broader strategy to simplify the user experience and reduce financial barriers to EV adoption.
With these subscriptions, we want to further increase the loyalty of our 25,000 users in Romania and compensate, through higher charging volumes, for the increases in energy prices and VAT that are taking place during this period.
How do you anticipate the demand for EV charging infrastructure will evolve in Romania over the next three years?
We anticipate a steady but gradual increase in demand for EV charging infrastructure in Romania over the next few years. While there’s growing interest in electric vehicles, the pace of adoption is still closely tied to national incentive programs, most notably Rabla Plus.
This government-backed scheme has been a major driver of EV purchases in recent years by offering substantial subsidies for both individuals and companies. However, changes in program funding or eligibility criteria can directly influence the growth rate of the EV fleet — and, by extension, the need for public charging infrastructure.
At Eldrive, we’re building with a long-term perspective, ensuring that our network scales ahead of the real market demand. We remain optimistic and flexible in our deployment plans, ready to accelerate if demand exceeds our forecast.
In 2024, there were approximately 55,000 EVs and around 1,600 public charging stations in the country. As EV ownership increases, a dense and reliable charging network will be essential, and Eldrive is well-positioned to meet that need.
Do you see potential partnerships with car manufacturers, real estate developers, or municipalities to accelerate your expansion?
Absolutely. We are already collaborating with real estate developers like Square 7, Cometex, and Antares to secure high-visibility, high-traffic locations.
Going forward, we are actively exploring partnerships with car manufacturers and municipalities to facilitate faster deployment and integration of our infrastructure with local urban planning initiatives.
We offer a flexible partnership model designed for property owners who want to become part of the electric mobility network.
What we provide:
· Installation, operation, and maintenance – Eldrive takes full responsibility for the infrastructure, management, and ongoing support.
· Dedicated charging stations – We can install stations that are exclusively used by your company’s fleet.
· App access – Partners get real-time access to a dashboard for tracking charging sessions, consumption, and costs.
· Advanced reporting – Our backend system delivers dynamic reports, secure data processing, and detailed insights on usage and users – aligned with your strategic business goals.
· Marketing & visibility – We support the promotion of the partner’s location through Eldrive’s marketing channels, increasing exposure and traffic.
Flexible conditions:
· Contract duration, infrastructure investment, and commercial terms are fully negotiable.
What are the biggest challenges you currently face in scaling the charging network—regulatory, financial, or technological?
Scaling a national EV charging network comes with a mix of technological, regulatory, and financial challenges—all of which we navigate on a daily basis.
From a technological perspective, deploying high-power stations (up to 400 kW) often requires grid upgrades and infrastructure retrofitting, especially in older or remote locations. Securing stable electricity supply and managing grid load are constant priorities.
On the regulatory side, permitting processes can vary significantly across municipalities, and in some cases, delays in approvals can slow down deployment—particularly in less urbanized areas or in regions with protected infrastructure.
Financially, while Eldrive benefits from strong institutional backing, including the EIB’s InvestEU facility, we remain exposed to fluctuations in electricity prices and tax burdens such as VAT. To offset some of these pressures and offer predictable pricing to users, we recently introduced two flexible subscription models.
In addition to these structural challenges, market growth itself is still closely tied to national incentives—especially the Rabla Plus program, which continues to play a decisive role in EV adoption across Romania. Any changes in this program’s funding or structure can have a direct impact on the pace at which public charging infrastructure is actually used, which in turn influences our rollout priorities.
That’s why at Eldrive, we maintain a flexible deployment strategy one step ahead of demand, in order to build trust, a seamless customer experience and stimulate EV adoption.
Romania has a diverse geography, from urban centers to remote areas. How do you adapt your strategy for different environments?
In urban areas, we focus on high-capacity hubs in shopping malls, business districts, and transport corridors, where demand is high and infrastructure can support fast charging.
In remote or rural areas, we are rolling out single or dual-point stations, often in collaboration with municipalities or local businesses, to ensure that no region is left behind in the EV transition.
This hybrid strategy allows us to deliver tailored solutions based on local demand, grid availability, and traffic flow.
Beyond the 1,000-point target, what is your long-term vision for Eldrive in Romania and the broader region?
Our long-term vision is to position Eldrive as a regional leader in EV charging infrastructure across Southeast Europe. With the EIB-backed project aiming to deliver 8,472 charging points across Romania, Bulgaria, and Lithuania, we are building a cross-border, interoperable network that supports electric mobility across the region.
In Romania specifically, we aim to transition from just being a provider of infrastructure to becoming a key enabler of the EV ecosystem.
What role do you think Eldrive can play in encouraging more Romanians to switch to electric vehicles?
We believe infrastructure is the foundation of EV adoption. By offering:
· Reliable charging availability;
· Transparent and competitive pricing through subscription models;
· User-friendly features like Autocharge and app integration;
· 24/7 customer support.
We remove many of the barriers that still prevent consumers from switching to electric mobility.
Eldrive doesn’t just enable EV use—it encourages it, by making charging convenient, affordable, and accessible nationwide.
In partnership with forward-thinking developers like Square 7 (part of M Core), Eldrive has integrated EV infrastructure into commercial, retail, and mixed-use real estate projects. These joint projects—such as the installation of over 100 EV stations in 26 retail parks—are reshaping how communities interact with sustainability in their everyday lives.
At Eldrive Romania, we are committed to accelerating the EV transition—not just by expanding our network, but by building trust with our users. With strong funding, strategic partnerships, and a customer-first mindset, we’re not only reaching our 1,000-point target but laying the groundwork for a more sustainable transport future across the region.
