Poland plans to create the legal environment and infrastructure to boost the number of electric cars on its roads to 1mn by 2025, the government said on September 20.

More electric cars could contribute to reducing Poland’s near-100% dependence on oil imports, Energy Minister Krzysztof Tchorzewski and his deputy Michal Kurtyka told a news conference. It would also improve air quality by reducing emissions from transport and help balance the power grid during nighttime periods of low demand, they added.

Tax and other incentives will be offered to consumers buying electric vehicles. Subsidies will also be available for the first 100,000 cars, the officials said, according to Reuters.

Warsaw also hopes to see its efforts boost the production of components for electric cars, and possibly full vehicles. The ministry plans new legislation to regulate development and special funds.

Poland plans to carry out preliminary legal work as well as prepare financing programmes to support the development of electromobility during 2016-2018, Tchorzewski said. The latter year should also see the creation of electric car prototypes.  

According to the plan, the actual implementation of the programme - including the development of basic infrastructure and the start of production of electric vehicles - will take just two years, from 2019-2020. The market phase will last from 2021 to 2025, when “electric transport will become a constant element of Polish cities” and “strong industrial players working for the Polish electric vehicles segment will be created.”

As is standard under the ruling Law & Justice (PiS) party, the state-controlled utilities are expected to play an important role. Utilities PGE, Tauron, Enea and Energa have said they plan to set up ElectroMobilityPoland to promote the use of electric cars.

The same companies have been pulled into the government's efforts to rescue the struggling state-owned coal mining segment in recent months. Warsaw stands at odds with pressure to reduce CO2 emissions. Over 80% of its power generation is coal-fired and there are plans to build new capacity to help support the miners.

Electric car owners would be encouraged to charge their vehicles at night, when demand is low and power ends up wasted. "The aim is to switch the tariffs system so that this night valley could become a source of energy for electric cars," Kurtyka said.