ARAD / WUHU – Dragoș Stan, an entrepreneur with more than 10 years of business experience, a member of POSA – Association of Auto Service Operators, and an active figure in Romania’s automotive sector, has successfully completed a historic expedition: “Romania to China with Chery”. He has officially become the first Romanian to enter China behind the wheel of a car registered in Romania, after driving more than 12,500 kilometres from Arad to the gates of the Chery factory in Wuhu.
A demanding journey across eight countries
Setting off on 30 April, the team made up of Dragoș Stan, Răzvan and Vlad crossed, over the course of 25 days, a complex route covering eight countries, including Georgia, Russia and Kazakhstan, before reaching their final destination in China. The expedition put both the team’s resilience and the reliability of the Chery Tiggo 9 to a demanding test, facing a wide range of weather conditions, from freezing temperatures in the mountains of Georgia to more than 31°C in the Chinese deserts.
Technical performance and international recognition
The vehicle, a Chery Tiggo 9 produced in China and sold in Romania, demonstrated outstanding reliability, recording an average fuel consumption of 7.7 litres per 100 kilometres over the 12,547-kilometre route.
“I organised this independent expedition to demonstrate that a dealer can remain close to its customers and that the Chery brand can safely take you from one end of the world to the other,” said Dragoș Stan.
Upon arrival in Wuhu, the team was received with honours by Chery’s top global management, including the company’s President and CEO. The achievement of the Arad-based entrepreneur broke no fewer than five internal Chery brand records, with Dragoș Stan being named one of the manufacturer’s best global partners.
Message of support from POSA
Dragoș Stan’s achievement was also welcomed by POSA – Association of Auto Service Operators, an organisation of which he is a member. The association’s representatives conveyed a message of support and pride for the performance of one of their members, underlining that the “Romania to China with Chery” expedition represents not only a personal and entrepreneurial success, but also an example of courage, professionalism and confidence in the ability of Romania’s automotive industry to connect with major international markets.
“For POSA, Dragoș Stan’s performance is a genuine source of pride. His expedition proves that Romanian entrepreneurs in the automotive sector can build bold, credible and internationally visible projects. We congratulate Dragoș Stan and his team on this achievement and on the way they represented Romania, the Romanian business environment and the community of professionals in the automotive industry,” POSA representatives stated.
Business impact and vision
The expedition, financed entirely from the team’s own resources, with costs estimated at approximately €20,000, attracted the attention of international media, with Dragoș Stan giving numerous interviews to television stations and newspapers in China, where the event was regarded as unique.
“This car will never be for sale. It is part of my company’s history, Optimal Drive, and will be displayed in the Arad showroom as proof of the courage to do things differently,” Dragoș Stan emphasised.
The team has returned home
After covering the final segment of the journey between Wuhu and Shanghai, the team returned to Romania by air on the evening of 28 May. While Dragoș and his colleagues are already back home and have resumed their activity at Optimal Drive, the Chery Tiggo 9 is set to be repatriated by sea, in a container, a journey expected to take between one and two months.
Through this achievement, Dragoș Stan has not only placed Romania on the map of international automotive performance, but has also strengthened the partnership between the Romanian market and one of the world’s largest car manufacturers.
About Optimal Drive
Optimal Drive, led by Dragoș Stan, is an Arad-based car dealer and official representative of the Chery brand, focused on building communities and offering its customers a distinctive experience.
