In 2021 T&E’s Polish office launched a research project, which involved bringing together stakeholders from the trucks and vans sectors. Talking about electrification of these sectors seemed far-fetched.
However, the situation changed significantly over the course of the year. Electric delivery vehicles and trucks were the fastest growing segment of electric vehicles in Poland in 2021. The number of new registrations in this segment grew in 2021 by 94% from 435 to 845.
Growth in new registration of electric vehicles was witnessed in all sectors (buses, motorcycles, passenger cars). The number of passenger cars grew by 93%. As of 1 January 2022 there were nearly 40,000 electric vehicles in Poland.
This growth is remarkable if one considers the speed of changes. The Polish market for EVs is growing faster than Europe’s average of 40%. The level of new registrations of EVs can be compared to the results from Spain in 2018 and slightly higher than Germany or the UK in 2014.
The impressive numbers were triggered by regulatory changes, as well as the decisions of companies to start to electrify their fleets. The EU CO2 standards for passenger cars were crucial, as the supply and variety of electric cars on the market increased. In July 2021 a support system for purchasing passenger cars and vans was also introduced in Poland. Battery electric vehicles can be bought with a subsidy of €4,000 or €6,000 for families with three or more children. In January 2021 a support mechanism for city buses was launched which covers 80% of the purchase price of a battery electric bus or a trolley bus and 90% of the purchase price for a hydrogen bus.
In addition to that, the deployment of renewable power is still growing, particularly for photovoltaic (PV) installation. The installed capacity of PVs increased in August 2021 was at around 6 GW, which is a 50% increase from December 2020. It is expected that the installed capacity will double because of the regulatory environment in Poland. However, from 2022 the regulations are going to be less favourable for new PV installations, as the market is becoming more mature.
Poland is getting closer to electrifying its transport sector, but the transition is far from assured. The share of EVs in all new registrations is only at around 4% compared to more than 15% across the EU. The government still lacks a comprehensive strategy for decarbonisation and electrification of the transport sector in Poland. This problem is going to be ever more visible in the near future, when the insufficient charging infrastructure will seriously affect the further development of the market for electric cars, trucks and vans.
