New study finds electricity credits could cut costs for Polish truck operators by up to 10%
Working Paper
Electricity crediting for depot charging: Assessing a cost advantage for Poland truck operators
The adoption of zero-emission vehicles will be critical to achieving the European Union (EU)’s carbon neutrality targets in the transportation sector. Revised heavy-duty vehicle (HDV) CO2 standards, passed in 2024, require vehicle manufacturers to reduce tailpipe CO2 emissions from the 2019 reporting period baseline by 15% by 2025, 45% by 2030, and 90% by 2040. Vehicle manufacturers can comply by improving the fuel economy of combustion engine vehicles or by increasing sales shares of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) or hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles.
Past ICCT research has shown that increasing BEV sales is the most cost-effective option for manufacturers to comply with the CO2 emission standards for both light- and heavy-duty vehicles. A new provision in the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) III could help accelerate battery electric truck adoption once implemented by EU Member States. This measure provides financial incentives for renewable electricity delivered to electric vehicles, including at depots—the backbone of the HDV charging ecosystem.
In Poland, Europe’s leading goods transporter by volume and the sixth-largest economy, truck and charge point operators could stand to benefit significantly from the RED III’s electricity crediting provisions. The Polish government has yet to implement RED III transport targets or establish a market-based mechanism for fuel suppliers.
This study examines the potential impact of RED III charging credits, particularly from depot charging, on the total cost of ownership (TCO) of Poland’s most common heavy-duty vehicle—the long-haul tractor-trailer. It estimates the amount of renewable electricity credits these vehicles could generate annually under different decarbonization scenarios for Poland’s electricity grid and median EU credit prices. The results suggest that the Polish government can support the electrification of the heavy-duty vehicle sector by implementing RED III electricity crediting, particularly for charging at depots. With crediting in place, we find that model year 2030 battery electric trucks have a 24% lower TCO than diesel trucks.
Figure 4. Total cost of ownership in 2030 assuming a moderate share of renewables and median EU credit prices
Attachments
Fact sheet
Fact sheet_Polish