On 11 December 2024, the Slovak Electromobility Association (SEVA) organised a round table entitled Transition to electromobility and its importance for Slovakia at the Permanent Representation of the Slovak Republic to the EU in Brussels. The event was attended by a number of Members of the European Parliament and Heads of Chambers, experts in the field of electromobility and industry representatives. The aim was to discuss the current challenges of the transformation of the automotive industry and the key steps that will enable Slovakia to remain competitive during this crucial transformation.
The meeting was opened by the Slovak Ambassador to the EU, Mária Malová: “We are at a critical juncture where it is essential for Slovakia to align regulations with the needs of the industry and to ensure that the transition to electromobility is not only economically beneficial but also socially fair,” she said, highlighting the importance of open dialogue and acceptance of feedback from all stakeholders. “We are witnessing a rapidly changing geopolitical situation that creates additional challenges and opportunities. Draghi’s report offers us valuable data on productivity and competitiveness that should underpin a regulatory framework aimed at decarbonisation.”
SEVA Director Patrik Križanský presented the current state of electromobility in Slovakia, the state of transformation of the automotive industry and the broader context of this process: “SEVA represents more than 70 members from various sectors, including the automotive industry, charging services, logistics companies and other entities. We currently have 15,000 battery electric vehicles on the road and anticipate significant growth to over 200,000 vehicles by 2030.” But the success of the transition to electric transport requires massive investment in infrastructure, he says: “The aim is to increase the number of charging stations by a further 3,000 by mid-2026, with motorway routes a priority.”
Handling the electrical transformation, however, is important not only on the roads but also in factories, according to SEVA. “There, it’s not only about the car factories, but also about the entire supply chain, on which the entire Central European region, including the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Poland and Romania, is to some extent dependent.” Križanský pointed out that, compared to the West, we are able to make better use of the capacities of our factories, and the share of electric models is gradually increasing in all of them: for example, Kia will produce a total of 27,000 electric vehicles in 2023 (9%), Stellantis 42,000 (13%), and Volkswagen up to 86,000 (28%). By the end of 2026, a total of up to 6 new all-electric models will be added in our car plants. “We expect Volvo to add a further 250,000 vehicles per year from 2026 at its ‘all-electric-only’ plant in Košice.”
Industry and policies
Representatives of industry and professional associations further presented their views on the challenges of the automotive sector to Slovak MEPs. The discussion focused on several key areas including legislative challenges, the development of the battery industry and the transition of supply chains to new technologies.
Chris Heron, Secretary General of the European Association for Electric Mobility (AVERE), highlighted the importance of investment and a clear strategy: ‘Europe must have ambitious and stable targets. The transition to electromobility is not only an environmental issue, but also an industrial policy issue that determines the direction of our economies.” AVERE’s calculations show that if we choose the right path for the transition, we can create €300 billion in new annual value added in the automotive industry, but the opposite scenario could lead to a loss of up to €400 billion.
Céline Domecq , Director of Public Affairs at Volvo Cars , presented the carmaker’s plan for all-electric production in Slovakia: “From 2026, we plan to produce 250,000 all-electric vehicles per year in Košice. Every part of production will be electrified, including the use of innovative processes such as the use of electric ovens for paint drying. Our long-term goals also include moving to 90-100% electric sales by 2030, which we are already demonstrating in markets such as Thailand and Brazil. We believe Slovakia has a chance to become a European leader in electromobility if we work together to provide the necessary infrastructure and government support.”
GreenWay CEO Peter Badik pointed to the need for legislative stability and the importance of a domestic business environment: “GreenWay started as a Slovak startup and today we are the largest operator of public charging points in Central and Eastern Europe. This success obliges us to plan responsibly as the industry invests with a 40-year perspective ahead. We need clear and stable legislation that allows us to plan and implement the necessary steps. This is the only way we will be able to meet the growing needs of electromobility.”
Amazona’s Henning Häder, which has extensive logistics operations in Slovakia and an overall emphasis in Europe on significantly reducing emissions from its fleet of vans and trucks, also presented his perspective on the electric transformation. For this reason, Amazon is also switching to electric propulsion for its logistics.
Impact of the transformation on Slovakia
Slovakia, as the country with the highest share of produced passenger cars per capita in the world, faces major challenges. However, the discussion between experts and politicians also brought reasons for optimism and concrete proposals on how to make the most of the transition to electric vehicles. Slovak MEPs were interested in the concrete impacts, for example MEP Katarína Roth Neveďalová (Smer) raised a number of key issues during the debate, relating to safety, job creation and raw material sources for new types of vehicles. “How do we ensure safety for people, especially in relation to fires in electric vehicles? What will we do to create new jobs and secure the resources needed for new types of vehicles?” Neveďalová asked.
Industry representatives and experts in electromobility responded to these questions with concrete data and proposed solutions. “Fires in electric vehicles are of a different nature than those in internal combustion engines, requiring specific prevention and extinguishing tactics,” responded SEVA Director Patrik Krizhansky. On the issue of jobs and economic benefits, he said that the transition to electromobility creates significant added value: “If we fail to transform, Slovakia risks losing 10% of GDP by 2040, while in the battery sector this would be as high as 1.5% of GDP.” According to Lucie Mattera of ChargeUp Europe, the development of charging infrastructure in the EU could create up to 15,000 jobs, but if the transformation were to slow down, the number of new jobs would be 20% lower. Céline Domecq of Volvo Cars stressed that retraining employees is possible, but takes time and resources: “Manufacturers like us can retrain employees and keep job losses to a minimum. But the problem is more on the supply chains’ side.”
Martin Hojsík, MEP for Progressive Slovakia, pointed out several serious shortcomings and challenges that accompany the transition to electromobility. “The behaviour of European car manufacturers is problematic. Instead of actively addressing the problems and promoting change, we are faced with hesitation and insufficient action. The fact that we are taking insufficient steps in this transformation may have global consequences,” he warned. Hojsík also pointed out that CO₂ legislation often ignores electromobility. The key, he said, is to focus on creating the right regulatory environment to ensure good conditions for the industry and consumers. “People are often worried that they will have nowhere to charge their cars. This is not a question of subsidies, but of business opportunity. Charging infrastructure must be a priority and requires support,” says Hojsík, who also believes it is important to focus on keeping jobs in the industry and adapting them to the new conditions: “The transformation will not only bring losses, but also new opportunities. However, we need to act quickly and strategically, otherwise we risk significant economic damage.” In response, the SEVA director stressed that Slovakia is working hard to expand charging stations and SEVA is not only supporting state institutions in the process of building charging infrastructure, especially on motorways and in urban areas, but is also focusing on setting the strategy for the transformation of the Slovak automotive industry. Henning Häder from Amazon stressed the need for a transition to clean electricity generation: “In order to support electromobility, we need to accelerate the decarbonisation of the energy sector. We need to connect more renewables. Amazon is already investing in clean energy and plans to expand its electric fleet to 10,000 vehicles by next year.”
Miloš Grajcar, Attaché for the Environment at the Permanent Representation of Slovakia to the EU, raised questions about recycling targets for end-of-life vehicles. “What can we do to avoid fines for not meeting the targets?” Grajcar asked. Volvo Cars representatives supported the need for recycling, pointing out the current limits: “It is important to have recycled content, but there will not be enough post-consumer plastics at the beginning of the chain. We propose a combination of 20% pre- and post-consumer content. “However, ‘bio-based’ materials are more expensive and make little business sense without some form of recognition of the higher costs.” AVERE’s Chris Heron stressed the importance of strategic dialogue regarding the transformation of the automotive industry and the need for certainty for the market, “The next year will be marked by a drive to increase EV sales. Short-term measures should focus on creating more certainty for both consumers and manufacturers, with the EU playing a key role in promoting best practice.”
GreenWay’s Peter Badik concluded by pointing out that few in Slovakia realise the urgency of the situation and the need for urgent action: “We need to redouble our efforts to electrify transport on the roads and in factories almost immediately. This is the only way we can sufficiently support infrastructure and production.”