Moldova is speeding up in electric vehicles: what if it ends up ahead of Italy?

Only about 2.3 million people live in Moldova, but if Italy continues to move slowly in its electrification process, this Eastern European country could end up with a higher proportion of electric cars compared to us. The government in Chisinau has indeed approved the National Program for Electric Mobility 2030, which calls for installing 600 public charging stations by the end of the decade and aims to raise the share of electric and plug-in hybrid cars in the national fleet to 15%.

The government has a clear plan: “Our energy to reduce dependence on diesel and gasoline”

"Our goal for 2030 is to reach around 600 charging points. I would like to emphasize that we are promoting a balanced distribution across the entire territory of the Republic of Moldova, so that at least 30% of the infrastructure is located outside Chișinău, in the other regions of the country," said Minister Vladimir Bolea. These are the objectives linked to the European project. "We know that the Republic of Moldova is part of the European transport network TEN-T. In this context, we will introduce a regulatory framework based on this plan, along with an implementation program. We will clearly define the distances that must exist between charging points, both along national roads and along the European TEN-T network." It is necessary to work together with Europe.

But that’s not all. “We naturally want companies and citizens of the Republic of Moldova to be able to benefit from electricity produced within the country and to rely less on imports of fuels such as diesel and gasoline. This is the first aspect I wanted to highlight today regarding this bill,” the minister explained.

Encouraging the purchase of electric cars: 15% of the vehicle fleet

The minister emphasized that developing charging infrastructure is crucial to promote the adoption of electric vehicles. Today, one of the main obstacles to buying a battery-powered car remains the lack of charging stations across the country. The National Program for Electric Mobility 2030 also sets specific targets to increase the number of zero-emission vehicles: by the end of the decade, electric and plug-in hybrid cars must account for at least 15% of the national vehicle fleet.

The comparison with Italy is interesting. According to Motus-E’s calculations, as of mid-2026, there were approximately 441,000 electric vehicles on the road. Given that Italy has over 40 million cars in total, BEVs account for just a little over 1% of the fleet. Including plug-in hybrids, this figure rises to about 2% of vehicles in use.

The targets set by Chișinău are currently only on paper, while Italy maintains a significant infrastructure advantage, with over 80,000 public charging stations installed. However, if our country continues to grow slowly while Moldova accelerates its implementation of the plan, the gap could narrow much faster than expected.

The energy minister in a Tesla during the 1,000 km battery test event

A curious incident dates back to 2024, when Moldova’s Ministry of Energy organized #FastandGreen1000, a 1,000-kilometer marathon reserved for electric cars. One of the teams was led by the Minister of Energy himself, Victor Parlicov. It would be great to see similar initiatives in Italy as well, with politicians willing to get involved personally to promote electric mobility.

Back then, the growing interest of Moldovan citizens in this technology was already evident. “In the past four years, the number of electric cars registered in Moldova has increased eightfold, showing that these vehicles can be used without particular problems on the country’s roads,” emphasized Parlicov.

The results of the marathon itself confirmed this: all teams completed the course within 24 hours, and among the participants was a Dacia Spring, which set its personal record by covering 1,000 kilometers in about 21 hours.

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The article “Moldova accelerates in electric vehicles: what if it overtakes Italy?” comes from Vaielettrico.