The new era of e-mobility development begins in Poland
6th of December 2016, Warsaw, Poland – Today marks the beginning of a new chapter of electromobility development in Poland, with the opening of the first nationwide network of public electric vehicle charging stations in the country. Peter Badik, co-founder of Greenway Infrastructure and Michal Kurtyka, Vice Minister of Energy, made the initial charge in Galeria Mokotow in Warsaw, where the first station is installed.
This is the first charging station built as a part of the Greenway network, a comprehensive network of 75 publicly available electric vehicle charging stations to be located near highways and main roads throughout Poland. This network will turn Poland’s main roads into green corridors by allowing anyone with an electric vehicle to travel around the country. Charging infrastructure is essential for electric vehicles to travel greater distances and be an actual alternative to combustion vehicles.
Electric vehicles represent a much cleaner alternative to internal combustion engine vehicles. They do not emit any pollutants such as sulphur oxides or ammonia, which are a problem for many Polish cities. At the same time, they are quieter than combustion vehicles which will help reduce noise pollution in larger metropolitan areas.
“EVs are clearly the automotive technology of the future. We are proud to be the company bringing state of the art technology to Poland. A project of this size and scope has the ability to change the game by kickstarting support for the electric vehicle market and thereby greatly improving the health of the Polish environment and the economy,” said Peter Badik, Greenway. “We are happy that e-mobility is appreciated by the Ministry of Energy through its Electromobility Development Plan. This plan provides predictability, which is key to developing the market for electric vehicles and infrastructure.”
“I am happy that our efforts in the area of e-mobility development have been met with such a positive reaction from entrepreneurs, including foreign investors, who treat Poland as a reliable partner. The project which launches today is one of many activities we are undertaking within the package for clean transportation and the Electromobility Development Plan, which is a part of this package,” said Vice Minister of Energy Michal Kurtyka. “I hope that this project, the first of its kind, will be an inspiration for further initiatives which contribute to the development of the e-mobility ecosystem in Poland. We will be watching these initiatives carefully and supportively.”
The station located in Galeria Mokotów shopping center will allow for two cars to charge at the same time. One charge cycle will take approx. 30 minutes – much faster than most chargers available so far in Poland. Greenway is still looking for locations to install infrastructure and so welcomes partnerships and proposals from landowners and property managers throughout Poland. The Galeria Mokotow is an especially good location for the first charging point, given not only its location as a high volume commercial destination in the country’s capital but also its commitment to different aspects of ecology, including ultimately using 100% certified renewable energy.
The project is generously supported with funds from the European Union and will take two years to construct. Once completed, the Greenway network will link Poland up to existing electric vehicle charging routes throughout Europe. This project will build off of the existing Central European Green Corridor and connect Poland with its neighbors from the Baltic to the Adriatic Seas, creating an interconnected network connecting 12% of the European landmass and 60 million inhabitants.
Given the challenges with air pollution in Poland, zero emission electric vehicles will play an especially large role in improving air quality in the country’s cities and towns.
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For more information, contact:
Aaron Fishbone
Communications Director Greenway
M: (+421) 911 371 827
aaron.fishbone@greenwaynetwork.com