Romania has fallen six rankings in Roland Berger’s EV Charging Index, now placing 25th with a score of 39 out of 100. The study emphasizes the urgency for Romania to accelerate the expansion of its charging infrastructure, despite the increasing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in the country. The EV Charging Index examines trends in e-mobility across 30 markets, encompassing 31 indicators and involving industry interviews, primary research, and a survey of 16,000 respondents worldwide.
China secures the top spot in the ranking with 82 points, followed by Germany, the United States, the Netherlands, and Norway. All of the top-performing countries achieved their highest scores to date. In positive news, EV sales penetration in Romania reached a record level of 13% in 2022, slightly below the global average of 16%, due in part to the Rabla Plus incentive scheme.
However, the EV charging infrastructure in Romania lags behind. Despite Romania surpassing the global average vehicle-to-point ratio, the number of charging stations only increased by 5% in 2022, significantly below the global average of 21%. According to Szabolcs Nemes, managing partner at Roland Berger Romania, the country faces a higher level of “range anxiety” compared to other EU nations. Although Romania has a relatively good penetration of fast and ultra-fast charging stations, the absolute number remains low. The expansion of charging infrastructure, particularly for fast and ultra-fast stations, must be accelerated to meet the growing demand for electric and hybrid vehicles.
Romania has committed to tripling the current number of charging stations by 2026 through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), which aims to give a substantial boost to the local EV market. While the overall charging experience is deemed satisfactory by three-quarters of EV owners in Romania, and 84% have found public charging to be easier in the past six months, charging speed remains a concern. Only 51% of respondents are content with the charging speed at public stations, slightly below the global average of 56%. Continued improvement in this area is expected as the installation of fast and ultra-fast charging stations accelerates.
Sources:
– Roland Berger’s EV Charging Index
– Romania-Insider.com