Eldrive Receives Master Business Award for Leadership in Sustainable Electric Mobility

When the first charging stations appeared on the streets of major Bulgarian cities years ago, electric mobility seemed to many like an expensive hobby for a handful of enthusiasts. Today, it is the backbone of a new economy. At the heart of this quiet but massive transportation revolution stands a clear regional leader who didn’t just ride the wave – he literally charted its course.

For its courage in building an entirely new category of infrastructure and turning a sustainable business into real, data-driven math, Economic.bg has decided to award Eldrive the prestigious Master Business Awards. This month, the company takes center stage in its most natural role – that of “Leader in Sustainable Electromobility.”

The company was honored following an in-depth analysis of its market position, strategic vision, and its real contribution to the transformation of the economy, business, and the urban environment.

As a leading business media outlet in Bulgaria, it is of utmost importance to us not only to report on market processes but also to highlight those leaders who are truly transforming the environment here,” commented Georgi Zhelyazkov, editor-in-chief of Economic.bg, at the award ceremony.

“The ‘Leader in Sustainable Electromobility’ award goes to Eldrive because, through its constant innovations and large-scale investments, the company is literally moving Bulgaria forward on the path to modern mobility. This inspiring example must be encouraged and highlighted, as it charts the course for our country’s sustainable economic development,” added Zhelyazkov.

The award was received by Dimo Kolchev, CEO of Bulgaria’s largest public charging infrastructure operator – Eldrive.

More Than Just an Operator

Eldrive’s business goes far beyond the standard understanding of a charging station operator. The company is effectively building an entirely new category of infrastructure in Bulgaria, making electric mobility an accessible and practical solution for everyday consumers, corporate fleets, and municipalities.

The company’s operations encompass a closed-loop cycle of high-tech processes: from precise network planning and asset deployment, through intelligent software management and a digital customer experience, to specialized B2B/B2C solutions and energy traceability. By deploying a reliable network of charging points, complemented by strategically located ultra-fast hubs along key urban arteries and transit corridors, Eldrive does not merely follow market trends but shapes them and sets a new industry standard.

Regional Leader

Currently, Eldrive is the largest operator of a public EV charging network in Bulgaria, with over 1,500 charging points in the local market. The company’s strategic scope, however, has a distinctly regional character – the unified platform manages a network of over 3,500 charging points, operating successfully in three European markets: Bulgaria, Romania, and Lithuania.

This scale demonstrates management’s capacity to plan, finance, and maintain complex critical infrastructure in an extremely dynamic technological and regulatory environment. An important focus of the analysis is the decentralization of investments: over 20% of the company’s charging stations are located in developing regions outside the largest urban centers, ensuring geographic accessibility of the service and a real contribution to regional cohesion.

Leadership through data and green energy

One of Eldrive’s strongest distinguishing features is the deep integration of energy traceability and data management. The kilowatt-hours passing through the company’s charging network are matched and offset with guarantees of origin from renewable energy sources (RES). In this way, the service’s climate profile is fully market-based and documented.

This technological solution delivers direct and measurable value to the company’s nearly 500 corporate clients. Eldrive provides its B2B partners with detailed, verified data on energy charged, sessions, locations, and emissions saved. Thanks to this, businesses can easily integrate green mobility into their ESG goals, auditable sustainability reports, and long-term decarbonization programs for corporate fleets.

Public-Private Partnerships as a Catalyst for Cities

One of the most telling examples of how Eldrive approaches its business is the shared value created through strategic partnerships. An illustration of this model is the partnership with the Municipality of Burgas – active since 2016. Burgas ranks third in the country in terms of the number of public charging points, following Sofia and Plovdiv. Eldrive’s network there includes over 50 stations with capacities up to 200 kW DC, located on municipal land and accessible 24/7. The stations are also visible in the “Smart Burgas” app – an integration that in itself demonstrates how charging infrastructure can be an organic part of the city’s digital ecosystem, rather than simply tacked onto it.

The presence at Vasil Levski Airport was established using a similar approach. From 2018 to the present, the facilities there have recorded 26,601 charging sessions, 346.7 MWh of energy delivered, and approximately 201.6 tons of CO₂ emissions avoided.

Green Jobs and Regional Reach

The award also recognizes the company’s broader economic impact. Eldrive has created over 40 green jobs across the entire value chain – from design and construction to maintenance, customer service, and software development. More than 20% of its charging stations are located in developing regions outside Bulgaria’s three largest cities – a choice not driven solely by commercial logic.

About the Master Business Awards

The Master Business Awards initiative aims to go beyond the scope of current financial results or purely marketing-driven brand recognition. Its mission is to highlight the achievements of visionaries in the Bulgarian economy who implement real innovations, create high added value, and serve as a benchmark across the entire business ecosystem. By honoring only one company each month based on expert evaluation, the editorial team at Economic.bg places a clear emphasis on the depth and scale of the winners’ social and corporate impact.

Translated with DeepL.