Electric truck sales still account for only a small share of the overall market, but they have been growing rapidly in recent years. However, this pace may still prove insufficient to meet the European Union’s 2040 targets for reducing CO2 emissions from the heavy-duty vehicle segment. Transport companies continue to point to limited vehicle range, high purchase costs and the lack of adequate charging infrastructure as key obstacles. The number of charging points available for the largest vehicles is expected to multiply over the next few years.
“The electrification of the Polish fleet is still at an early stage. We are somewhat behind Western European countries. Poland plays a major role in the European road transport market, so in the case of heavy-duty vehicles this situation is concerning, because the lack of electrification in the Polish fleet is reducing our competitiveness. And this is a highly strategic element of the Polish economy and the position of Polish carriers on the international stage,” Piotr Ziółkowski of the Polish New Mobility Association (PSNM) told Newseria.
According to data cited in Volvo 4Poland’s report Trendbook – The Future of Heavy Transport in Poland 2026/2027, electric trucks accounted for 4.2% of new vehicle sales in the European Union in 2025, compared with 2.3% a year earlier. In Poland, the figure was below 1%.
“I assess the pace of electrification in the truck sector quite highly. As manufacturers, we are ready — we have moved beyond the stage of experiments and pilot customers, we have finished products, and we are investing heavily in new battery solutions,” says Monika Trzosek, Commercial Director at Volvo Trucks Poland.
Transport companies remain cautious
A survey of transport companies conducted for the Trendbook suggests that the industry remains cautious about the speed of market changes. One in four respondents believes that low- or zero-emission vehicles will never become a significant part of fleets, while 34% believe this will take more than ten years.
A total of 54% of companies say they use or plan to use low- or zero-emission vehicles. However, only 14% are already using them, while another 14% are conducting trials. Nearly half do not plan to deploy such vehicles in the coming years.
“Sales are still at a relatively low level when compared with conventional drivetrains, but the number of enquiries and potential customers interested in the technology and opportunities offered by electric vehicles is increasing significantly. This is very promising, especially as financial support and programmes promoting electromobility have also appeared on the market. We expect the coming months and years to bring dynamic growth,” Trzosek says.
According to the Electromobility Counter, operated by PSNM and the Polish Automotive Industry Association, Poland had 13,438 electric light commercial and heavy-duty vehicles at the end of May 2026, including 185 trucks weighing more than 12 tonnes. Between January and May, registrations across the entire category, including both new and used vehicles, rose by 92% year on year.
“The service network is developing in line with the pace of electrification and electric vehicle sales. Ordering an electric vehicle is itself a process, so we have time to ensure that a given service centre has the necessary skills and tools. But we are not waiting for orders. Some of our service centres are already fully prepared to handle electric vehicles. Mechanics are trained, have developed their competencies and have the appropriate tools to service such vehicles,” says Michał Proc, After-Sales and Service Network Development Director at Volvo Trucks Poland.
EU targets require a shift towards zero-emission vehicles
Under EU regulations, manufacturers are required to reduce CO2 emissions from new heavy-duty vehicles by 45% by 2030 and by 90% by 2040, compared with 2019–2020 levels. This means production will need to shift decisively towards zero-emission vehicles, primarily electric models.
Experts argue, however, that expectations from major corporate customers seeking greener transport may become a stronger investment driver than regulation alone.
“It should be remembered that the target has been imposed on manufacturers, but they do not produce vehicles simply to leave them in a yard — they produce them for customers. We also need customers to be sufficiently interested in these vehicles. And here again, the issue is cost and adequate infrastructure. The vehicles are available, but unfortunately the infrastructure is not yet what it should be, especially for heavy-duty vehicles,” says Michał Wekiera, Director General of the Polish Automotive Industry Association.
“In the case of electric vehicles, the very limited charging infrastructure is clearly delaying the wider adoption of this type of transport. There are only a few charging points for heavy-duty vehicles in Poland,” adds Małgorzata Kulis, Managing Director of Volvo Trucks Poland.
Infrastructure remains the main bottleneck
As the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways reported in March, Poland’s electric vehicle charging network is now twice as large as it was in mid-2022. Charging stations are available at 145 of 412 motorway service areas on Poland’s expressway network. This translates into 493 charging points in total, but only a few are designed for heavy-duty vehicles.
According to the PSNM AFIR Counter for the first quarter of 2026, publicly accessible charging points for heavy-duty vehicles operate in only seven locations. In most cases, they are located too far apart to meet the requirements of the AFIR regulation.
Charging stations for passenger cars and trucks are currently being developed at 40 motorway service areas. These are expected to meet AFIR requirements in terms of charging capacity and location. The charging points are scheduled to be launched between 2026 and 2030.
Experts note that existing charging sites are generally designed for passenger cars and vans. As a result, a tractor unit with a semi-trailer often cannot physically enter them.
“We are also talking about grid capacity. If a large number of chargers are built in one location and they all begin charging heavy-duty vehicles at once, there may simply not be enough electricity,” says Małgorzata Kulis.
“We are also dealing with complex regulations. From the moment an application is made for permission to install such a charger to the final project stage, when it can be put into operation, sometimes two years or more can pass. Cooperation between all participants in this complex ecosystem is required.”
The PSNM report indicates that truck charging zones require very high investment, often ranging from hundreds of thousands to even millions of zloty per location. Fixed monthly electricity costs may reach tens of thousands of zloty, regardless of whether any vehicles actually charge at the site.
With the current fleet of fewer than 200 heavy electric trucks, it is not possible to build a larger number of installations on purely market-based terms.
“However, this development is accelerating significantly. Stations that received EU funding are now being completed, so in the coming months we can expect a wave of new charging hubs for heavy-duty vehicles,” Piotr Ziółkowski adds.
PLN 2 billion programme to build 843 charging stations
A major catalyst for faster infrastructure development will be funding from the Modernisation Fund. On 11 June, the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management approved projects recommended for financing. They will enable the construction of publicly accessible charging stations for zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles, including along the TEN-T network, at logistics centres, operational bases and intermodal terminals.
Funding will support 170 projects, under which 843 publicly accessible charging stations for heavy transport will be built. The total budget amounts to PLN 2 billion.
“These hubs will be built no later than 2030. Everything is being coordinated to meet European requirements for the development of alternative-fuel charging infrastructure under the AFIR regulation, which sets very clear targets for how, where and when charging infrastructure should be developed for both passenger cars and trucks,” says the PSNM expert.
However, Michał Wekiera argues that the AFIR model does not fully reflect the realities of road freight transport.
“What the AFIR regulation assumes does not fully fit the specific nature of road transport. It seems that chargers should be concentrated more around warehouses, where trucks collect and deliver goods, rather than at typical motorway locations. Today, it is rare to see a truck refuelling at a motorway service station,” he says.
The Polish Automotive Industry Association expert believes that specialist transport may become the leader of the transition. This includes refuse collection vehicles, concrete mixers, construction vehicles and road-maintenance vehicles.
These fleets operate on predictable local routes and can be charged at depots or fixed operational locations. Under such conditions, it is easier to manage range, plan downtime and reduce operational risks related to charging.
The barriers and opportunities associated with the electrification of road transport were among the subjects discussed at the 4Poland transport solutions fair, held on 11 June at the Jastrząb racing circuit near Radom.
