The transition to zero-emission road transport is accelerating with a variety of support tools. These include special privileges for EV owners: the possibility of using the bus lane and free parking in the city, but also very important and effective subsidies. The Polish subsidy program appears in a new, extended form. Now, more drivers can get financial support when purchasing a zero-emission car, and the biggest novelty is the financing of leasing. Additionally, we have also the recently announced surcharges to support the investment in charging infrastructure, which was awaited for some time now, and that is great news too.
Half a billion zlotys for the program of replacing the combustion cars with electric or hydrogen ones, and nearly a billion zlotys for funding for EV charging stations. These programs are designed to run for several years but will be available until the allocated funds for them will finish. If so, what conditions must be met to apply for those funds? What amounts of funding can we receive?
Electric vehicle charging stations - for whom?
The pool of PLN 870 million will support the expansion of the Polish charging infrastructure in 2021-2028. The National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (NFEPWM) speaks about specific figures: it is planned to build or modernize 17 760 charging stations and 20 hydrogen refueling stations. Particular emphasis was placed on the expansion of DC fast charging stations, as it was specified that the amount PLN 630 million from the total sum will support these projects. Another priority is hydrogen refueling stations (PLN 100 million), while the smallest part of the total amount will be allocated to slower non-public AC stations (70 million).
The program - Support for electric vehicle charging infrastructure and hydrogen refueling infrastructure - can benefit institutional recipients, housing communities, businesses and farmers. Planned investments can be generally accessible charging stations or adapted to the owner's needs. The non-public ones should have a minimum power of 22 kW, while the public ones should have a minimum power of 50 kW. Entrepreneurs setting up generally accessible charging stations can count on a reimbursement of 30-50% of costs - the greater the power of the charger, the greater the subsidy. In order to receive investment support, several conditions must be met, including proving financial feasibility or ensuring an appropriate location.
Additionally, the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (NFEPWM) announced a parallel program called "Development of electricity infrastructure for the development of electric vehicle charging stations", which is aimed at the current so-called Distribution System Operators. It is financed from the modernization fund - it serves investments in overhead and underground power lines and transformer and distribution stations.
How to install a charging station?
The installation and configuration of charging stations is a demanding project divided into many levels. It can take a lot of time if we have no experience in this matter. It is worth taking advantage of the support of specialists such as GreenWay - the professional service of engineers, lawyers, and appropriate technological facilities guarantee that everything will be buttoned up in the prescribed time and without unnecessary obstacles. GreenWay has prepared a special offer for developers, dealers, hotels, restaurants, office buildings, local governments, retail chains and other organizations that would like to provide their customers with access to EV chargers. As part of this service, we build public and non-public charging stations. You can check what scope of services we offer here.
Half a billion PLN for electric or hydrogen cars
The program to support the replacement of combustion cars with electric cars, announced in July 2021, "My Electrician" does not include the mistakes of its last years’ edition. The value of subsidized cars has increased, which allows you to choose from a wider range of models with satisfactory ranges - up to 400 km. Moreover, a surcharge can be obtained for electric vehicles purchased between May 2020 and December 2025, which may come as a surprise to current owners of electric cars.
The program of the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management covers individual recipients, as well as entrepreneurs and local governments.
● Natural persons can count on a subsidy of PLN 18,750, and if they have a large family card - PLN 27,000 zloty. In addition, large families are not subject to the car value limit of 225,000. zlotys. → The budget dedicated for such subsidies counts PLN 100,000,000.
● Organizations can obtain more funding if they meet the declared average annual mileage, which in the case of cars with up to 8 passenger seats (M1 class) means 15 thousand km, and when buying a car for transporting loads (class N1) 20 thousand km. Subsidies for this one may reach the amount of PLN 70,000. zloty.
Interestingly, the category of vehicles for which funding can be granted is much wider and also includes mopeds, motorbikes, and other 4-wheeled vehicles. → The budget is PLN 200,000,000.
Subsidies for leasing
A novelty in the "My Electrician" program is the possibility of signing a leasing contract for an installment payment and an initial payment. This is a real opportunity for companies that increasingly want to build an environmentally friendly business and build their image on a low carbon footprint. Especially for electric cars, leasing is a form of financing that relieves organizations from a large initial investment.
The program has been designed in such a way that the applications for subsidies are serviced by leasing companies in consultation with the bank.
The first bank intermediating in the transactions is BOŚ - the contract between BOŚ and the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management was concluded on September 8, 2021. The National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management will transfer the amount of the co-financing to the bank, and the bank will regularly transfer funds to service providers. For entrepreneurs and organizations, this form of support reduces monthly rental costs by up to several hundred zlotys.
Detailed information on subsidy programs related to electromobility can be found here (Polish language only).
The changes accelerate every time financial support programs are announced. Initial responses show that this will also be the case for zero-emission transport. Soon after the opening of the call for proposals for co-financing of electric vehicles, over a thousand applications were submitted, and the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management has already issued the first decisions. It is worth mentioning that there are programs that also support public transport. The plans assume that by 2030 all city buses in Poland will be zero-emission, which with the current share of electric and hydrogen vehicles requires the replacement of 10% of the fleet annually. Such a comprehensive approach to green transformation allows us to believe that the results will exceed expectations and that electric vehicles will become an accessible alternative with convenient infrastructure.
