Are Poles bidding farewell to petrol and diesel? Only 14% see them as the future of motoring
Transparency note: This press release was originally published in Polish. The text has been machine translated. You can find the original press release here.
According to Polish consumers, the future of the Polish used car market in 25-30 years is significantly different from what it looks like today. Currently, gasoline cars account for 56%, and diesels for another 37%, of CARFAX's over 21 million used car database. However, only 14% of surveyed Poles believe these powertrains will be very popular in the future. They have specific expectations for the technologies that will replace them – 49% indicate that electric cars require a longer range, while 26% each expect faster charging and longer-lasting batteries. Sixty% of respondents attribute the future attractiveness of combustion cars to significantly lower fuel consumption and emissions.
According to 55% of Poles, electric and hybrid cars will dominate the roads in the next 25-30 years . Hydrogen-powered vehicles are mentioned by 15% of respondents, while 14% place their hopes in other technologies, including those not yet known. Only 14% of respondents believe the future will belong to gasoline and diesel cars. This is data from the latest representative study commissioned by CARFAX, a company providing used car history reports from reliable and certified sources.
The study results confirm what we have been observing in the industry for some time: consumer awareness is inevitably aligning with global trends and regulations. The fact that only 14% of people have confidence in the future of traditional internal combustion engines is a clear signal that Poles have accepted the impending transformation, says Robert Lewandowski, Business Development Manager at CARFAX Poland. Although a technological leap – particularly regarding cell energy density and the expansion of charging infrastructure – is still required for electrified vehicles to achieve full market dominance, the direction of the shift in Polish drivers' mindset has essentially been set once and for all.
The survey was conducted to mark Used Car Day on September 18, which aims to highlight changes in the secondary market as well as the challenges facing buyers and sellers of used cars. This year, CARFAX asked Poles, among other things, to envision the used car of the future and to identify the technologies they believe will dominate the roads in 25 to 30 years.
A more durable battery and lower costs – this is what drivers expect from new drives
Respondents point to several issues that need to change for electric cars to be truly attractive in the future: they should have a longer range on a single charge (49% of responses) and charge faster (26%), and their batteries should be more durable (26%), safer (25%), and cheaper to replace (20%). Similar expectations are expressed for hybrid cars: their batteries should be more durable (36%), allow for a longer range (35%), and cheaper to repair or replace (28%).
As many as 60% of respondents agree that combustion cars, if they are to remain an attractive choice for consumers in the future, should consume significantly less fuel and emit fewer exhaust gases . Interestingly, this aspect is much more important for respondents over 55 (68% of responses) than for respondents aged 18 to 24 (49%).
The Polish reality is still very far from these forecasts.
Although consumers predict the future belongs to electric and hybrid vehicles, the automotive aftermarket in Poland is currently dominated by gasoline vehicles. They account for 56% of all cars in the CARFAX database, which covers over 21 million used passenger cars in Poland. Diesels come in second (37%). The Polish fleet is among the oldest in Europe – the average age of a used car in Poland is 16 years. Nearly 80% are affected by at least one risk factor that potential buyers should pay special attention to (such as unusual odometer readings). Just over 40% have a history of damage.
Sixty percent of the cars in the database are imported, and every second one is German-made. Imported cars are significantly older, with an average age of 19 years.
Comparing the vision for the future with the current state of Poland’s vehicle fleet reveals the true scale of the challenges involved. On one hand, we aspire to modern powertrains; on the other, our used car market still relies on imports of worn-out, nearly twenty-year-old internal combustion vehicles – often with hidden accident histories, says Robert Lewandowski, Business Development Manager at CARFAX Poland. A smooth transition from this outdated fleet to a reality of zero- and low-emission vehicles requires not only time but, above all, systemic, wide-ranging incentives and a stable used market for electric cars – a market that currently lacks options affordable for the average consumer and suffers from a lack of confidence due to the 'poor' aging of earlier BEV technology iterations.
The study was conducted in August 2026 using the CAWI method on a representative group of 1,000 Poles.