Diesel vs Electric — heavy-duty transport in Poland
Round Table: HDV Charging Infrastructure Development in Poland | 30.03.2026 | PAIH, Warsaw
All figures net (excl. VAT). Sources: Orlen wholesale diesel 2026-05-01 (6.46 PLN/l), public DC operator tariffs, NFOŚiGW Modernisation Fund programmes.
THESIS
Public subsidies finance the construction of charging infrastructure, yet the absence of price regulation renders its use economically unviable for hauliers.
NFOŚiGW Subsidy Programmes
Three programmes totalling PLN 6 billion from the Modernisation Fund. Grant conditions contain no requirements regarding energy prices at subsidised stations.
The majority of tractor units operated in Poland are used vehicles, acquired after 3–5-year service contracts from Western European international operators. A 3–4-year-old vehicle with 400–600k km costs PLN 180–250k net — a fraction of the new price.
The electric truck secondary market is only just emerging — it exists almost exclusively in the form of short-term rental, typically at 4,000–5,000 EUR/month (~17,000–21,500 PLN). Outright ownership in the used segment is practically unavailable. Comparing a new electric vehicle with a new diesel does not reflect the actual decision-making conditions of a Polish haulier.
The analysis below includes three variants: used diesel (market reality), new diesel, and new electric with subsidy.
Comparison Parameters
Tractor unit 40t GCW. Operational profile: 550 km/day, 21 working days/month, closed loop.
Diesel — used
3–4 years, post-service contract
VehicleTractor unit (40t)
Net price~220,000 PLN
Lease payment5,200 PLN
Fuel consumption28 l/100km
Wholesale diesel net6.46 PLN/l
Fuel / 100 km181.02 PLN
fuel cost only
Diesel — new
Factory new, 60-month lease
VehicleTractor unit (40t)
Net price~500,000 PLN
Lease payment9,200 PLN
Fuel consumption26 l/100km
Wholesale diesel net6.46 PLN/l
Fuel / 100 km168.09 PLN
fuel cost only
Electric — new
Only available option on the market
VehicleElectric tractor (40t)
Net price~1,160,000 PLN
NFOŚiGW subsidy-396,000 PLN
Lease payment14,500 PLN
Energy consumption120 kWh/100km
Range (full charge)~500 km
Energy / 100 km (depot)120.00 PLN
energy cost only
* Costs per 100 km above include fuel/energy only. Fixed costs (lease payments, insurance, maintenance) are included in the monthly comparison below. EV: ~270k EUR. Subsidy: 60% of price difference vs reference diesel (~500k PLN) = 396k PLN (micro/small enterprise).
Charging Prices — Energy Sources
Net prices at public DC 350 kW stations of a major operator in Poland (tariff March 2026).
Source
Variant
PLN/kWh
Energy/100km
vs Diesel*
Public DC station
Basic tariff
2.56
307.20
+72%
Public DC station
Mid subscription
1.95
234.00
+31%
Public DC station
Top subscription
1.71
205.20
+15%
Own depot charger
Industrial tariff
1.00
120.00
-33%
Breakeven (cost = new diesel)
1.49
178.62
0%
* Comparison covers fuel/energy cost per 100 km only (excl. fixed costs). New diesel: 26 l × 6.46 PLN = 168.09 PLN/100km.
Total Monthly Cost — 11,550 km
Lease including PLN 396,000 subsidy for electric vehicle (60% of price diff. vs diesel reference, N3 programme, micro/small enterprise). All amounts in PLN net. Baseline: used diesel — the real alternative on the Polish market.
Variant
Lease
Energy
Total
vs baseline
Used diesel (3-4 yrs)
5,200
20,908
26,108
baseline
New diesel
9,200
19,414
28,614
+10%
EV — 100% public (basic)
14,500
35,482
49,982
+91%
EV — 100% public (subscr.)
14,500
23,701
38,201
+46%
EV — mix depot/public (80/20)
14,500
15,828
30,328
+16%
EV — closed loop, 100% depot
14,500
13,860
28,360
+9%
Closed Loop — Impact of Route Length on Charging Source
EV range: ~500 km per full charge. At 550 km/day a single round trip of ~275 km each way fits within range with depot top-up.
Loop (one way)
Depot
Public
Cost/month
vs used diesel
≤200 km (short loop)
100%
0%
28,360
+9%
~275 km (fits in range)
90%
10%
29,344
+12%
~350 km (exceeds range)
60%
40%
32,296
+24%
550 km (linear, no loop)
0%
100%
38,201
+46%
Breakeven — Monthly Cost as a Function of kWh Price
Scenario: 100% public charging. Reference lines: used diesel (26,108 PLN) and new diesel (28,614 PLN).
## electric (100% public station) .. used diesel -- new diesel
Stress Test — What Diesel Price Makes Public Charging Viable?
Simulation: 600 km/day, 21 days/month (12,600 km). Diesel full-service lease 7,700 PLN/mo, EV lease after subsidy 14,500 PLN/mo. At what diesel price does a publicly-charged EV break even?
Public kWh price (net)
Diesel breakeven
vs current (6.46)
Gross retail equiv.
1.71 PLN (top subscription)
9.97 PLN/l
+54%
~12.26 PLN/l
1.95 PLN (mid subscription)
11.08 PLN/l
+71%
~13.62 PLN/l
2.56 PLN (basic tariff)
13.89 PLN/l
+115%
~17.09 PLN/l
Current wholesale (Orlen)6.46 PLN/l
Historical max PL (2022 crisis)~7.50 PLN/l net
Breakeven (best public tariff)~10.00 PLN/l net
Even with the best public charging subscription (1.71 PLN/kWh), diesel would need to reach ~10 PLN/l net — 45% above current levels and 33% above the historical Polish maximum. At the standard tariff (2.56 PLN/kWh), diesel would need to nearly double. Public charging stations in their current form cannot become a cost-competitive alternative to diesel under any realistic fuel price scenario.
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550 km
21
26.00 l
6.47
120 kWh
1.71
1.00
100%
9,200
14,500
Diesel
28,614
PLN / month
Electric
28,360
PLN / month
Diesel
Monthly distance11,550 km
Lease payment9,200
Fuel19,414
Cost/100km168.09
TOTAL28,614
Electric
Lease payment14,500
Depot energy13,860 (100%)
Public energy0 (0%)
Total energy13,860
Cost/100km120.00
TOTAL28,360
Difference / month-254
Difference %-0.89%
Difference / year-3,053
Difference over lease (5 yrs)-15,264
Breakeven — max public kWh price
n/a (100% depot)
Net price at which total EV operating cost equals diesel
Based on a comparison of operating costs for a 40t GCW tractor unit at 11,550 km/month, taking into account Polish vehicle market realities.
1. Comparing new EV vs new diesel does not reflect market reality
The majority of tractors operated in Poland are used vehicles acquired after 3–5-year service contracts from international operators. The lease payment for a used diesel (~PLN 5,200) is nearly three times lower than for a new EV after subsidy (~PLN 13,800). Electric vehicles have no secondary market — the only option is to buy new. This means the real barrier to entry is significantly higher than a new-vs-new comparison would suggest.
2. No price regulation on subsidised public stations
NFOŚiGW programmes fund charging station construction up to 100% of eligible costs, yet grant conditions contain no maximum energy price requirements. Beneficiaries — large infrastructure operators — set prices at 1.71–2.56 PLN/kWh net, making public charging more expensive than diesel refuelling.
3. Even 100% depot charging barely breaks even with used diesel
At current electric tractor pricing (~270k EUR), with subsidy covering 60% of the price difference vs diesel reference (PLN 396k for micro/small enterprise), an electric vehicle charged entirely at depot is only 3% more expensive than a used diesel. Any reliance on public charging pushes costs 11–82% above baseline. The subsidy structure — based on price difference, not total cost — limits the effective support level, as the reference vehicle price (~500k PLN) absorbs a large portion of the EV cost. and access to own charging infrastructure — without either, the economics collapse.
4. Public station breakeven far below market prices
For EV operation on public stations to match used diesel costs, energy prices would need to fall below 1.00 PLN/kWh net. Current market prices (1.71–2.56 PLN/kWh) exceed this threshold several times over. Under current pricing conditions, no economically rational haulier will purchase an electric vehicle intending to use public stations.
5. Public funds should prioritise depot infrastructure
The current programme structure favours public infrastructure construction (PLN 4 billion), while the analysis shows that the viable model is depot charging with subsidy. Public stations at 1.71–2.56 PLN/kWh add 39–82% to costs vs used diesel. Redirecting support towards depot chargers at operator bases — combined with higher effective subsidy levels — is necessary to make electrification competitive with the used diesel baseline that make electrification economically rational.