“We are lagging behind Western European countries, but electromobility in Poland is gaining momentum and we want this Congress to result in concrete projects and implementations,” Maciej Mazur, managing director of the Polish Alternative Fuels Association (PSPA), said during the first day of the New Mobility Congress in Łódź.
On September 12, the 3rd edition of the New Mobility Congress (KNM), the biggest event in e-mobility and sustainable transport in Central and Eastern Europe, was launched in Łódź. The motto of this year’s congress is “E-Mobility in Poland. What’s next?”
During the first day of the congress, participants in the debates focused on the challenges of EU climate policy until 2035, the development of charging infrastructure and the creation of clean air zones in city centres.
Pavel Šolc, CEO of Volkswagen Group Polska, pointed out that the objective of the EU’s climate policy until 2035, approved by the European Parliament in June this year, is to reduce CO2 emissions in transport to zero.
“It will become increasingly difficult to buy new combustion cars in Europe. The Volkswagen Group, for example, plans to end production of VW combustion models between 2033 and 2035, and the last Audi combustion cars will roll off the assembly line as early as 2033,” he pointed out.
Pavel Šolc added that Poland is a large and very important market for manufacturers, but taking into account the age of registered cars, the oldest vehicles in Europe are driven on Polish roads.
Andrzej Ziółkowski, president of the Office of Technical Inspection (UDT), pointed out that the energy reality of the war in Ukraine makes us realise that energy could be in short supply. In this situation, the UDT, which is tasked with guaranteeing safety standards and access to energy in the e-mobility sector, can help with the development of regulations that will serve all players in the market.
Yakov Livne, Israel’s ambassador to Poland, spoke about the need for international and inter-city cooperation in sharing technologies.
The first day of the New Mobility Congress ended with a gala, during which leading Polish and foreign companies received the “Electromobility Leader” awards and special prizes from the Polish Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (PZWLP).
The New Mobility Congress is an event that connects buyers and sellers along the entire value chain of sustainable and zero-emission transport. It takes place on 12-14 September 2022 in Łódź, Poland.