The Polish electric car is running into trouble

Producing an electric car in Poland, the most reluctant European country to this new technology, is the crazy challenge of Izera.

Creating Poland’s first electric car, and incidentally reviving the country’s automobile industry after the disappearance of FSO in 2011, was the goal of Izera, a brand created by the company ElectroMobility Poland (EMP). But even with all the goodwill in the world and the support of the Polish government, the ambitious venture struggles to take off like the Polish eagle. The manufacturer has not spared efforts since the presentation of the first prototype in November 2022, including signing a two-year technological partnership with the Chinese group Geely and an agreement with Pininfarina to design the first of three models expected in 2024.

Two years later, the project is struggling to find new funding, and its partnership with the Chinese manufacturer Geely is coming to an end. Essentially, 2 to 3 billion euros are missing to complete the factory located in Katowice-Jaworzno, Silesia, which was supposed to employ around 3,000 people. 580 million euros have recently been raised from various public supporters, but inevitable delays could lead Geely to reconsider its involvement and the supply of Volvo EX30 platforms to host the first model coded Z100.

And as if that were not enough, Geely’s involvement may be affected by the rise in European Union tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, which prompted Beijing to suspend its European investments. This policy change notably led Leapmotor, supported by Stellantis, to freeze its projects in Poland. While the rhetoric remains voluntary and optimistic, the reality is quite bleak for Izera.

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