Romania has one of the highest tariffs for fast-charging electric cars in Europe, at 0.43 euro/kWh, the same level as Austria and almost double that of Spain or Croatia, although the wholesale price of energy is not the highest in the EU, according to an analysis signed by the president of the Intelligent Energy Association (AEI), Dumitru Chisăliță.
According to the source cited by Agerpres, the difference is explained by the lack of competition in the ultra-fast stations segment and by the commercial strategy of operators who treat Romania as a transit market, with low volume and low bargaining power.
„The fact that Romania appears in the Tesla app with a tariff of 0.43 euro/kWh - exactly the same as in Austria and almost double that of Spain or Croatia - can no longer be explained by market accidents or temporary fluctuations. It is the result of a deliberate commercial strategy, applied in a market that is considered marginal, transit and with low bargaining power. Romania does not have the most expensive current in Europe (unless we take purchasing power). On the contrary, in many periods, the wholesale price of electricity is below the EU average, yet users of electric cars pay among the highest tariffs for fast charging. This contradiction says a lot about how the Romanian market is perceived by the big operators”says the AEI president.
The analysis shows that for Tesla, Romania is not a volume market, but „a safety market, a few well-placed stations on major road corridors, mainly for regional transit”.
„Without a steady flow of local users, investment and operating costs are recovered through a higher price per kWh. In other words, the few pay a lot instead of the many paying a little. This economic logic is understandable from the company's perspective, but difficult for consumers to accept. Especially when comparisons with other countries in the region are unavoidable”, says the document.
According to the research, Hungary or Poland, with significantly lower tariffs „demonstrate that the difference lies neither in geography nor in the cost of energy, but in the level of use and local competition”.
The AEI president emphasized that Romania has no real competition in the area of ultra-fast charging stations.
„This is where the real problem arises, Romania still has no real competition in the area of ultra-fast charging stations. Few stations, limited coverage and few alternatives outside the big cities. In such a context, the price is not constrained by the market, but dictated by the operator. And Tesla is well aware that the Romanian user often has no real options (lack of competition in this sector). Moreover, Tesla's regional pricing policy treats Eastern Europe as an area where investments have to be amortized quickly, because the risks are considered higher, slow adoption of electric cars, legislative instability, modest road infrastructure. All this is „built into” the final price paid by the driver”said Chisăliță.
He referred to the case of Serbia, where charging is free. „Tesla knows how to be flexible when it wants to stimulate a market. Romania, however, has gone beyond the „promotion” phase and has entered directly into the monetization phase, without benefiting from the advantages of a mature market,” he said.
In his opinion, the problem is not just the price of €0.43/kWh, but the message that Romania is a market that can be taxed more, because it does not have enough critical mass to count.
„As long as the number of electric cars remains relatively small and the alternative infrastructure does not develop aggressively, this message will not change. Prices will not fall out of goodwill. They will only fall when the stations are full, competition is real and the Romanian user finally has a choice”, said Dumitru Chisăliță.