Panek as carsharing leader in Poland with ambition to become trend-setter and Central European player

Car-sharing and electromobility on a business trip. Will Panek set trends in this segment? Cooperation with LOT and PKP will help?

A keen observer of the car rental market and trends in the field of electromobility cannot ignore the success achieved by Panek in Poland. We are growing a new leader and trend-setter for the entire market. Certainly, the area of ​​business trips will be one of those where the PANEK product has a chance to settle permanently.

Nationwide availability and presence at airports – the key to success

The key to success in the business travel market is the availability of locations. After the recent expansion, Panek offers over 250 locations in Poland, which is important with regard to regional airports. Such an offer meets the business requirements. Although corporate clients mainly travels from / to Warsaw to Wrocław, Gdańsk or Kraków. He also needs a full package of „smaller” destinations. As in any business, „long tail” is extremely important. This is what Panek currently provides, and it is certainly not his last word.

The added value in the form of the speed of using such a service is also important, as well as reducing formalities and special parking spaces give just such a benefit. Customers who use the dedicated Panek point at the Warsaw Western Railway Station can find out about it. An ideal place for a „painless” transfer to the Intercity train.

Pandemic – threats, but also great opportunities

Undoubtedly, the pandemic slightly thwarted Panek’s business plans. Business and tourist international arrivals have actually dropped to zero. This is certainly not good for business.

However, there are also positive consequences. The market will clear up. It can be assumed that a large number of players betting exclusively on electric cars will fall out of it. In the Polish reality, this service is simply too expensive for today.

Another and perhaps more important consequence is the widespread awareness of the potential savings generated by car-sharing and the trend towards ecology directly related to it. These two trends will benefit Panek’s business model.

It must be remembered that the research shows that the real time of using company cars is between 4-10%. It is impossible to go over it. Own fleet is often simply not profitable. Insightful purchasing departments in companies will pick it up quickly.

Cooperation with PKP or LOT opens up opportunities in the segment of frequent travelers

A great potential area of ​​growth is cooperation with PKP and LOT. After all, domestic travel was the most important segment in terms of volume in the pre-pandemic times. Additionally, cooperation with the railways carries a positive marketing aspect in the form of a pro-ecological message.

Following the example of Deutsche bhan, Polish railways have already noticed the potential of electromobility. Among others, project pilot in Gdynia / Gdańsk. However, it is a drop in the ocean of needs today. The support of an organization offering nationwide availability would give such a service a real business utility.

The potential of cooperation with LOT remains slightly smaller, but still interesting. Domestic airports are often quite far away from city centers. The speed and comfort provided by the Panek service could help build a comprehensive and faster service for Polish LOT passengers. In the background, there is also a potential increase of Panek’s presence in Central Europe. And this is LOT’s apple of the eye when it comes to business traffic.

Expansion in Visegrad

The above-mentioned expansion in neighboring countries is another point on Panek’s ambitious business development plan. Polish company is already present in major business locations in Lithuania. The future should bring a strong appearance in the Czech Republic and Hungary. Budapest and Prague – are among the top ten business destinations from Poland. Berlin would also be an interesting option, but here the competition can be very fierce.

What else will play in favor – Dacia Spring, change of travel policies of companies, the obligation of car-sharing

Several smaller factors will also play in favor of the development of electromobility. One of them will be the introduction of economical electric cars, the only one will be Dacia Spring. It is supposed to be a car largely intended for car sharing. The unofficial information shows that the electric Dacia may soon appear in the offer of Polish car sharing.

In a short time, one can also expect a strong tendency to include the car-sharing obligation in companies’ travel policies. This trend is already present abroad. It will certainly reach Poland.

Implementation to self-booking tools/programs for SMEs

The tendency to introduce self-booking tools on the business travel market will certainly accelerate. New start-ups such as Hotailors or Stery will bring a new quality here. Certainly, this is a chance for Panek to „sew” his service into these tools and thus increase the availability for business.

Start up Stery supported by OTA giant eSky to build innovative self booking tool (waszaturystyka.pl)

The leader of the business travel market – eTravel and its CTA tool seem to be the perfect partners. The fact that all the above-mentioned tools are originally Polish is also beneficial here. They are addressed largely to Polish companies whose range of business trips is largely limited to our country. So they do not need strictly global products, or at least it will not be a requirement for them to cooperate.

An interesting option for the company could also be entry as a partner to the Programs for Small and Medium-sized Companies. Primarily LOT for Companies. It would also be worth considering participation in a new loyalty program shared by LOT and PKP. As long as one will be created, although in the context of New Central Airport, the chance for it seems very significant.

Evolution, not revolution – a chance for profitable growth

It seems that car-sharing and electro-mobility in Poland have golden years ahead. Despite the optimism, one should always keep in mind the element of business profitability. Especially in the context of its further capital-intensive scalability. The failures of purely electric car-sharing models in Poland give food for thought.

Certainly, a more balanced model including a mix of traditional, hybrid and electric cars in the coming years will allow for gradual business growth. Of course, the goal of the percentage of pure electric cars growth should be in the company’s DNA. It seems that Panek will try to follow this path. The business travel segment and the offer for companies will be one of the important pillars of growth in the coming years.