Impact mobility rEVolution’18 was an incredibly busy time for us, but now that things have settled down a bit, we’re back to report everything we have learned throughout these inspiring two days. With The National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR) as our Strategic Partner, our crowds got an exclusive peek into the institution’s plans and perspectives regarding the future of electromobility in Poland.
During the first day of the event, our main stage housed a moderated discussion titled “Vision 2030 – what is the vehicle that we see on our streets?”, where the leading voices of the mobility industry in our region shared their vision on what’s to come. The audience had a chance to hear NCBR Director, prof. Maciej Chorowski, who expressed his hope that the growth of the zero-emission movement in Poland will go far beyond the previously announced development of a fully electric bus prototype.
NCBR intends to have the initial vehicle ready for testing in three years, and hopes that zero-emission transport in Poland will become commonplace within the next three decades. Because of the long-term perspective, the Centre does not focus exclusively on solutions suitable for the current state of the world – their work also includes innovations which could potentially respond to market needs in ten or twenty years, such as hydrogen cells, and solutions allowing for the storage of electricity from renewable energy sources.
When thinking about mobility, NCBR aims to stay true to the needs and desires of ordinary people, whose daily concerns do not enter the realm of the most advanced technological innovations, and instead focus on getting to their chosen destination in a comfortable and timely manner. The Centre believes that these desires can be easily integrated into the concept of electromobility, with the technical issues resolved behind the scenes. According to Prof. Chorowski, the popularization of zero-emission vehicles can be accelerated further through the social acceptance for change, and good institutional preparation.
“Our discussions with local governments are not bound exclusively to the topic of electric buses, they are much broader: we’re thinking about solving issues of efficient arrivals to city centres, conducted on time, and without additional pollution. In this equation, a zero-emission vehicle is required but we also try to look further into the future, and consider [scenarios such as] a shortage of lithium.” – explained Prof. Chorowski.
The Centre’s involvement at IMR’18 went far beyond the Vision 2030 discussion: Deputy Director of NCBR Izabela Żmudka took part in a main stage panel about the public authorities’ role in creating a market for EVs, and Michał Markiewicz of NCBR’s Zero-Emission Transportation Program shared his perspective in a moderated discussion about improving the air quality in Polish cities. Throughout the two days, NCBR’s team also provided expertise during several roundtables, and conducted numerous meetings with young entrepreneurs in the Impact Link and Business Booster spaces. Meanwhile, the Centre’s booth in the EXPO section showcased the products of its beneficiaries, including an innovative electric car charger, and a car seat suited for autonomous driving.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this year’s edition of our event! See you next time!
