The number of electric cars registered in Moldova has increased, over the course of the last two years, by about four times. In 2014 only 4 electric vehicles were registered. Their number increased to 99 in 2018. Currently, there are 369 registered electric motor vehicles.
According to the Public Services Agency, the first electric trucks and tractors were registered in Moldova in 2018. In 2020, there were 11 registered trucks and 12 tractors. The number of electric motorcycles has also increased from one in 2013, to a hundred units in 2020.
The most popular imported electric vehicle models are the Nissan Leaf (149), followed by Renault Zoe (65) and Tesla Model 5, S (46). Volkswagen E-Golf electric cars (25) and AIMA motorcycles are also in demand.
Over 290 electric cars are up to five years old, over 190 are between five and ten years old, while four cars are over ten years old.
Car expert Ilie Toma was quoted as saying that the attractiveness of electric cars is explained by substantially lower operating costs - about 25-35 bani per/km, compared to 1.10-2 lei per/km for cars with traditional engines, depending on consumption. Second hand electric cars are not very expensive. "In total, a person can spend only a few hundred lei per month for electricity, while saving several thousand on fuel. Subsequently, drivers save on technical service. Technical service implies short interventions, because electric cars don't have an internal combustion engine or gearbox, they do not need oil change or replacement of that many consumables. There are very few consumables that need replacement, which further reduces the actual cost of operation".
The car expert said that the popularization of electric cars is proportionate to the spread of public chargers. "We already have dozens of chargers all over the country, not only in Chișinău, which reduces the fear of operating these cars. Those who change their means of transportation from traditional to electric cars discover that they are very pleased with the change and they spread their enthusiasm. Electric cars are more friendly to the environment; however, the change to electric vehicles is mostly facilitated by cost savings and progression to something new and more modern", said Ilie Toma.
Currently, there are over 20 charging stations, located in Chişinău, Criuleni, Orhei, Bălţi, Soroca and other settlements.
