Eldrive expands thanks to EUR 15 million investment from the EBRD

The leading regional operator of charging points in Bulgaria, Lithuania and Romania - Eldrive - continues to attract investments. This time they come from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which has decided to invest 15 million euros in Eldrive Holding GmbH.

The company plans to install and operate 7,400 new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations by 2028, in addition to the 900 it already has.

The EBRD will invest together with Renalfa Solarpro Group, owner of Eldrive, in the first phase of development. Previously, the European Investment Bank (EIB) also provided a venture debt facility worth EUR 40 million.

The EBRD investment supports the European Union's commitment to decarbonisation. The transport sector is responsible for 22% of global CO2 emissions in 2022, which is why EU countries must accelerate the introduction of clean electric mobility.

The EU Green Deal aims to have 1 million public EV charging stations in the bloc by 2025 and three million by 2030. Currently, Central, Southern and Eastern European countries lag behind Western European countries in terms of charging station availability. EV charging, according to EBRD. 

This is the EBRD's first capital investment in a charging point operator and we are delighted to support Eldrive's expansion plans in Bulgaria, Lithuania and Romania," said Sue Barrett, EBRD Head of Infrastructure for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

She expressed hope that this investment will pave the way for many other investments in EV infrastructure in the region and help accelerate the decarbonisation of Europe's transport sector.

Eldrive has ambitious development plans in the countries where it is present. The company recently announced that it is starting to build its own charging parks for electric vehicles.

Translated by Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov