The largest Kosovan fuel company HIB Petrol has installed the first electric car charger in the country. It will be free of charge for one year.

HIB Petrol has installed the Terra 53 Charger electric car charger at its Cagllavica fuel station at Emerald Hotel as a first step towards creating the necessary infrastructure for electric cars in the country.

The installed electric charger is rated as the best electric charger in Europe and North America, the company claims. The device complies with all relevant international standards, including EMC Class B, mandated for safe use in residential locations, offices and fuel pumps.

The company’s founder linked the move to the growing concerns over air quality in Kosovo and other countries in the Western Balkans. 

“At a time when the lack of fresh air is a major concern for citizens, HIB Petrol has decided to offer a new solution in the country — clean energy without environmental contamination. The electric charger we are offering free of charge to our citizens is just one of the many possibilities HIB Petrol will create for the future,” said Ibrahim Bucaliu, founder of HIB Petrol.

"The first electric charger is just a pilot part of HIB Petrol's general programme for investment in clean environment and energy,” he added. 

Unlike in Western Europe, the number of electric vehicle chargers across Central and Southeast Europe is relatively low. A 2018 report from environmental consultancy Transport and Environment (T&E) said there are close to zero charging points per 60km of highway in the region from Hungary and Slovenia in the north to Greece in the south.