Switching to an Electric Car as a Family Investment
When our old family car was reaching the end of its life, I started thinking about replacing it. At first, it was just a regular purchase decision — we needed a reliable car for daily use, especially with three children and a busy schedule around running our nursery in Bydgoszcz. But then we heard about the national subsidy program “Nasze Auto”, and that completely changed the direction of our thinking. Without the subsidy, we simply would not have considered an electric car. With financial support, a new EV became affordable in a way it hadn’t been before.
Environmental reasons were part of the motivation. I liked the idea of choosing something cleaner and more efficient. My partner pointed out the everyday benefits that electric cars have in the city — such as free parking — and we both felt that electric mobility is likely the future. But what convinced us most were the running costs. After two years of use, we spend significantly less than we did with our old combustion car. Electric vehicles don’t require oil changes, have fewer consumable parts and are cheaper to service. We charge the car at home using high-power access, which takes about four to five hours, and my partner can even charge for free at work. Even when paying the electricity bill ourselves, the savings compared to fuel are substantial.
Buying the car, however, turned out to be more complicated than expected. Affordable electric models disappeared from dealerships quickly, and we were lucky to receive a car that someone else had cancelled. Then came the most time-consuming part — the application process for the subsidy. First, we had to receive the hard registration document. Only then could we submit a large stack of paperwork: the contract, insurance documents, payment confirmations, invoices, and even a promissory note signed in the presence of a notary. Processing takes many months, and we heard of applications still being reviewed half a year later. We completed the process ourselves without advisers, but it required patience and careful attention to detail.
There were other challenges too. Because I run a business, we were automatically directed into a corporate lease — consumer leasing was not available to us. We still don’t know whether this was because of the subsidy rules or dealership policy, but we would have preferred more choice. Over the course of the program, the rules also changed several times. The subsidy was expanded to commercial vehicles, which receive higher payments, and funds ran out quickly. We spent a lot of time monitoring the remaining budget online to be sure we could still apply.
Despite the administrative barriers, we are very satisfied with the car. For city driving, it is perfect — quiet, comfortable and inexpensive to use. The battery range of around 250 km is more than enough for everyday errands. For long highway trips, range can drop due to higher speeds and winter heating, which is why we still keep a second combustion car. But for daily commuting and family mobility, the electric vehicle works flawlessly.
If there is one thing we would change about the system, it would be the bureaucracy. Faster payment of subsidies, simpler paperwork and clearer communication would make the process much easier. Most people we know heard about the program not from official channels, but from friends or viral posts online. With better public information, more families might be encouraged to switch.
Even so, if someone qualifies for financial support and primarily drives in the city, we strongly recommend it. Electric cars are appearing everywhere now — and for everyday use, the comfort, lower running costs and quieter ride make a real difference