Charge, Set, Go! | Electrifying Urban Transport in Germany and Poland

Report

When more than 40 countries signed the Katowice Partnership for E-Mobility at the 24th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 24) in Katowice in 2018, it set a milestone for a global approach for the electrification of mobility and the decarbonisation of the transport sector. For Poland and Germany, as the sixth-largest and largest passenger car markets in Europe by sales, it was yet
another confirmation of a lived reality. Dedicated friendship and strong long lasting economic cooperation are characteristic for the relationship of both countries and the motto of the framework, Driving Change Together, reflects their joint ambition for the electrification of the transport sector.

In this very sense, both countries set out to expanding their cooperation in the field of electromobility through the Int-E-Grid project, funded under the European Climate Initiative, to building a comprehensive Polish-German
Platform on Electromobility, explore and share experiences and to develop policy recommendations for both local and national authorities. A cooperation which makes a lot of sense and can built on a lot of trust and friendship, essential to fulfil the ambition of the Katowice Partnership. And a cooperation which is in line with EU’s approach to achieving the climate neutrality aimed for in the European Green Deal by 2050.

Only in July 2021, the European Commission published the long-awaited so-called Fit-for-55 package of legislative proposals on climate policy – referring to
the target of a 55 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the EU by 2030 compared to the base year 1990. This target value of 55% is a core element of the EU’s strategy of becoming climate neutral by 2050, and
is now stipulated in the EU Climate Protection Act. The goal is significantly more ambitious than the previously applicable value of 40% and increases the urgency for transformation towards zero-emission mobility.

The effectiveness of this effort depends above all on the ability to put together a coherent overall package from the many different instruments and measures - at European and national levels as well as enable the mobility shift where population density is highest – in the cities.

Decarbonizing road transport, mainly through the electrification of the urban vehicle fleet including individual and public transport is already part of the national and local strategies to reduce air pollution and mitigate climate change. Yet urban mobility cannot be reshaped without continuous collaboration and exchange on best practices, good solutions and feasible approaches across
borders, especially within the European Union. Therefore, this study investigates the status quo of policies, influencing and framing the electrification of urban mobility and provides recommendations for municipalities in Poland and Germany on how to effectively support the electrification of urban mobility. It thus supports the discussions of the Polish-German Platform on Electromobility, where both countries jointly work toward their shared ambition of Driving the necessary change together.

The analysis "Distribution grids. Planning and development" was created within the Polish-German project Int-E-Grid, which is carried out by the Forum Energii together with the Promotion of Electric Vehicles Foundation and Agora Verkehrswende. The project is supported by the European Climate Initiative (EUKI). 

Authors: 
dr Sandra Wappelhorst, Kyle Morrison - International Council on Clean Transportation, ICCT

Cooperation: 
Jacek Mizak - Fundacja Promocji Pojazdów Elektrycznych
Ernst-Benedikt Riehle - Agora Verkehrswende
Klaudia Wojciechowska - Forum Energii

Date of publication: 31 December 2021

Files to download

Partners

Related content

  • Distribution grids and electromobility. Planning and development

    30.11.2021
  • Visegrad Electromobility | State, perspectives and challenges

    22.7.2021