Prices for charging electric cars in Romania are rising steadily and are among the highest in Central and Eastern Europe. At the same time, registrations of electric vehicles have fallen steeply, signaling a slowdown in the transition towards sustainable mobility.
Romania is facing a sharp increase in charging costs for electric vehicles. According to data published by Visual Capitalist, based on observations by the European Alternative Fuels Observatory (EAFO), charging an electric car to cover 100 kilometers costs, on average, €9.8. By comparison, the same service costs just €3.2 in Portugal and €4.6 in Finland, but approaches €17 in countries such as Norway or Slovenia. Regional differences and the impact of energy on costs
The EAFO study was based on average prices at public fast-charging stations, using the Tesla Model 3 to standardize the data. Costs differ considerably depending on the available infrastructure and energy prices in each country. Iceland, for example, offers the lowest tariffs of just €2.9 per 100 km, thanks to abundant renewable energy. In Romania, however, rising tariffs reflect high electricity costs and a still underdeveloped charging infrastructure. Drastic drop in electric vehicle registrations
High prices and lack of subsidies are having a visible impact on the electric vehicle market. According to the Association of Automobile Manufacturers and Importers (APIA), registrations of electric cars in Romania fell by 38% in the first ten months of 2024, compared to the same period in 2023. At the European level, the decline is more moderate, at 5.8%, influenced in particular by declines in Germany, where the elimination of government bonuses for electric vehicles led to a 28.6% drop. Falling market shares
In October 2024, electric vehicles accounted for only 4.9% of the Romanian car market, compared with 10% in the same month of the previous year. In contrast, plug-in hybrid vehicles increased slightly, from 4.3% to 5%. This trend indicates that without concrete measures, Romania’s transition to electric mobility risks losing momentum, especially in the context of European competition.
