It’s a sign of the times: the no. 1 most leased car brand in CE, Skoda, has announced the launch of Enyaq iV, the first fully-electric business model of Skoda. It is slated to hit the market in late 2020 and it is proof, if proof be needed, that Central Europe is getting ready for plugged-in mobility. But is the required infrastructure available and are governments following with incentives to promote EVs?

Let’s get this out of the way first: the share of electric cars on the roads in Central Europe may be low, but even in the most electrified European markets the numbers still struggle to hit the 5% market share.  Of all cars on the roads today, 0.04% are electric in Poland, 0.56% in the Czech Republic, 0.10% in Slovakia, 0.20% in Hungary and 0.06% in Romania. Download the fact sheet.

Adding EVs to your fleet requires a tailor-made approach. The experts at Business Lease can help you take the steps to order and manage your first battery-electric or hybrid vehicles.

The future is clean mobility

These numbers need to go up and they need to do so relatively fast. The European Commission targets emission cuts in passenger vehicles of 50% by 2030[i] as part of decarbonization of the wider economy. This cannot be achieved without corporate fleets.

Car manufacturers have started churning out plug-in hybrid and battery-electric vehicles in huge numbers and they are no longer limited to premium segments.

Buying EVs

Price is still an obstacle to EV adoption, though. Even a modest Opel Corsa-e has a price tag of just under PLN 130,000 in Poland, compared to just over PLN 50,000 for its petrol-powered sister. Getting fleets to add plug-in hybrid battery-electric vehicles to their offering without tax breaks and other financial incentives is difficult and governments in Central Europe have understood that.

Romania, for instance, put a scheme in place to give grants for buying electric vehicles. Slovakia, for instance, subsidizes plug-in vehicles[ii] and the Czech Republic allows municipalities to apply for subsidies to buy cars with alternative fuels.

More is being done on the tax front, though. All five Central European countries do not levy any motor vehicle tax and/or registration tax with some adding additional benefits like free parking while an EV is being charged.

Charging network in Central Europe

Having an EV is one thing, charging it is another. Charging networks can be sparse in parts of Central Europe, particularly away from motorways and cities, but they are expanding. The Czech Republic already has quite an extensive network and they are still planning further increase as to avoid being stranded with an empty battery in more distance regions from the big cities.

However, surveys have shown that most EV drivers charge their vehicle at home or at the office, indicating that’s where chargers are really essential. Fortunately, prices for EV chargers are going down and Business Lease has partnerships with experienced charger manufacturers in all Central European markets.

Various countries also give grants to refund part of the installation costs. This is the case in Romania, where the government refunds up to € 30,000 if you install a charger of more than 22kW. The Czech Republic and Poland also have incentives for EV chargers.

Business Lease set up a Mobility Expert Team five years ago, as a way to experiment with new mobility solutions together with clients and suppliers. One of its core missions is a focus on alternative mobility sources and CO2 footprint reduction.

Business Lease is a car leasing company operating in the Central European region and located in Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. Business Lease also operates on an international level and we are happy to provide you with further information on full electric and hybrid cars in your countries.

Get in touch with one of our International team members for more information, or request the E-mobility factsheet here.

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