A group of drivers on fully electric cars have embarked on a five-day, 1,000km marathon across Moldova to promote environment-friendly electric mobility. The route includes cities that have charging stations for electric cars, reports IPN.

Adelina Iucal, a participant in the event, said that she bought an electric car because she wants to protect the environment and also because it is more economical. The only downside is perhaps the fact that you need to charge the battery every day. “But it charges very fast, in an hour and 15 minutes, during which I can eat or read,” said Adelina.

Olga Ţepordei, another participant, said she chose to tour Moldova in order to spread the message that electric cars are a much more convenient mode of transport. Olga doesn’t own an electric car yet, but her next one will certainly be powered by electric batteries.

Ilie Toma, participant and organizer of the marathon, said that the route passes through the cities of Chisinau, Orhei, Balti, Hancesti, Causeni, and Comrat. “We expect a lot of challenges, but we want to prove that it is possible. We want to show how much it costs to use an electric car, maintenance-wise, how it can be used, how it is charged,” said Ilie Toma.

Attending the event, Chisinau interim mayor Ruslan Codreanu said that future generations should have a clean and green environment. The municipality will try to create incentives for drivers who own electric cars, for example, by letting them use chargers for free, or by allowing them to use lanes reserved for public transport.

According to the organizers, there are more than 200 electric cars registered in Moldova today, compared to 54 registered just a year ago. In Chisinau there are 11 EV stations, and six more outside the capital city. An additional 20 stations are under construction and they are expected to be inaugurated in autumn.