The first marathon of electric, plug-in and hybrid cars in the Republic of Moldova

October 30, 2018

The first expedition of environmentally friendly cars started today in the Republic of Moldova. Nine electric, plug-in and hybrid cars will roam Moldova for 5 days to promote innovation in auto transport industry and demonstrate the performance of zero-emission cars.

“The eco mobility can be a reality for Moldova. We promote environment-friendly transport to reduce air pollution. 14% of the total volume of greenhouse gas emissions in our country is in the transport sector,” says Alexandru Rotaru, project manager at UNDP Moldova, organization that partnered for the electric car marathon.

9 brand and varied car models will roam Moldova for 5 days. The convoy of cars will cross the cities of Orhei, Soroca, Drochia, Balti, Ungheni. The vehicles will be charged with power supply at the overnight hotels and restaurants. The cars participating in the expedition will return to Chisinau on the 3rd of November at Piata Marii Adunari Nationale (at 13:00 – tentative hour). On this day, expedition’s participants will share with people their impressions and experience of driving ecofriendly cars.

“A mass transition of Moldovan motorists to eco propulsion systems seemed a utopia only 1-2 years ago, while today it is a growing trend. And this trend has all the chances to migrate even further from the classical hybrid area to that of plug-in hybrids and 100% electric cars, with the expected development of the power station infrastructure intended for 2019. All these premises motivated us to conceive this unprecedented expedition with our partners, demonstrating live to the people how to coexist with these innovative propulsions, here and today, in the landscapes of Moldova,” says Ilie Toma, organizer and participant at the exhibition.

Currently, in the Republic of Moldova, there are registered 54 electric cars and 5 charging stations, all in Chisinau. In 2019, 14 new electric vehicle charging stations will be installed on the main urban routes of the Republic of Moldova. The investment is being made thanks to a partnership between the Energy Efficiency Fund and the United Nations Development Programme within the Sustainable Green Cities Project.

The Sustainable Green Cities Project, with a five-year duration: 2018-2022, has a total budget of $ 2.6 million provided by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and co-funded by UNDP with $ 80,000.

The marathon is organized in partnership with PiaţaAuto.md, Orange Moldova, Mastercard and EWA Motors.

The updated marathon information will be posted daily on this communication platform: https://bit.ly/2ESkTLf