Dacia Europe South-East chief warns rising energy costs could push Renault and Ford Otosan out of Romania

At a conference organized by the Confederation Concordia, Mihai Bordeanu, Dacia’s Managing Director for South-East Europe, warned that Romania is losing its edge in car manufacturing because energy costs have roughly doubled since before the pandemic. He stressed that the sector contributes a third of the country’s exports and 14% of GDP, supporting a large workforce. Bordeanu pointed out recent setbacks: the first Dacia electric vehicle will be produced in Slovenia and the Dacia Striker will be built in Turkey, rather than in Romania.

He cautioned that without urgent measures, global players such as Renault and Ford Otosan may shift their operations to more cost-competitive locations. The Dacia chief called for a comprehensive strategy to improve internal competitiveness and prevent further loss of manufacturing opportunities.