Romania’s Environment Ministry is preparing a redesigned version of the “Rabla” programme. The new financing mechanism—currently under public consultation—will target people affected by energy poverty, enabling them to obtain an electric vehicle directly, a category usually inaccessible to low-income households. The announcement was made by Tudor Roșca, Chief of Staff within the Ministry of Environment, during the “Best Electric Van 2025” awards event.
A new funding model and new air quality reporting rules
The scheme will be implemented through the Social Climate Fund, coordinated by the Ministry of Investments and European Projects.
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Tudor Roșca explains that the future model will differ from the classic Rabla programme, also including financing for local authorities and companies. Planned measures include support for electric school minibuses in rural and peri-urban areas, where mobility relies heavily on old, polluting vehicles.
The Ministry is also preparing an Order that will change how air quality is reported in Bucharest. Instead of 24-hour averages, reporting will shift to hourly averages, offering a clearer picture of pollution peaks. PM2.5—the fine particulate matter linked to internal combustion engines—will be added as a key monitoring indicator.
He stressed that reducing urban pollution remains a major objective, noting that road traffic is a significant contributor to particulate emissions and nitrogen oxides, especially from diesel engines.
Charging infrastructure expansion
Two national programmes run by the Environmental Fund Administration are approaching completion. One supports medium-power 50 kW fast-charging stations in rural areas, while the other funds AC charging points in municipalities. Global statistics show that over 80% of all EV charging happens at home or at destination, a trend also confirmed in Romania.
The “Best Electric Van 2025” event highlighted models such as Ford Transit Courier, Ford Transit Custom, Maxus eDeliver 5 and 7, Renault Master E-Tech, Farizon SV and DFSK EC75.
Photo: CECCAR Business Magazine
