An electric vehicle charging station was installed at METRO

Electric vehicle owners can charge their cars for free while shopping

March 5, 2019

Photo: Chisinau city hall

An electric vehicle charging station was installed at the METRO 1 store due to a strategic partnership initiated by UNDP Moldova within the "Sustainable Green Cities" Project. Customers of the Stauceni store (5 Chisinau Street), electric or plug-in vehicle owners can charge their cars for free while shopping. By the end of 2019 it is planned to install two more electric vehicle charging stations at the METRO stores network.

“There is a growing recognition that electrical vehicles are the mobility solution for the future. I would like to further encourage all partners to leverage the power of innovation for transforming Chisinau in to a green and low carbon city,” says Dafina Gercheva, UNDP Resident Representative in the Republic of Moldova.

The maximum power of the three-phase station is 22kW - 32A, and the 80% charging time is of 1 hour maximum. Station users can track the car's charging status on the screen. The equipment is compatible with all types of electric vehicles and allows simultaneous charging of two cars. “I wish there were less and less smell of gasoline and diesel in the city. By developing a network of electric vehicle charging stations, we will make more and more people choose environmentally friendly cars. Thus, we will reduce the level of pollutant emissions in the atmosphere and have a cleaner city,” mentions Ruslan Codreanu, interim general mayor, the chairperson of the “Sustainable Green Cities” Project’s Board.

METRO, within the strategic partnership with UNDP, will initially cover the maintenance and charging costs. "A strategic objective of the company in terms of environmental protection is to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 50% by 2030. With the measures we carry in our stores, and by supporting our partners' initiatives, we want to be environmentally friendly and to motivate our customers to prioritize the eco transport, to have the necessary conditions to help protect the environment," said Karoly Szalai, General Manager of METRO Cash & Carry Moldova.

The electric vehicle charging station is of French production, of Legrand company. "We are pleased to have the opportunity to develop projects that help protect the environment. We thank our partners for the excellent collaboration, and we hope that the electric vehicle owners use these stations, which give them the chance to charge their car for free as much as possible," says Calin Pascalau, General Manager at Legrand Romania.

14 electric vehicle charging stations will be installed this year on the national routes of the Republic of Moldova. The procurement is managed by “Sustainable Green Cities” Project, thanks to a partnership between the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure and the United Nations Development Programme.

Currently, in the Republic of Moldova there are registered only 99 full electric vehicles and 11 charging stations. In many countries, the share of electric vehicles already exceeds 1% of the total amount of vehicles. For Moldova, a 1% share would mean 10,000 electric vehicles.

The “Sustainable Green Cities” Project, with five-year duration: 2018-2022, has a total budget of $2.72 million, out of which $2.64 million are provided by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and $80,000 – co-funded by UNDP.