Poland has a high number of vehicles, but regular car washing is not yet a common practice, making express tunnel car washes a strong business opportunity. Early investors can secure the best sites and benefit from advanced technology that drives higher throughput, efficiency, and customer loyalty.

Poland has about 30 million registered vehicles, yet many drivers still wash their cars only about once a month. This points to a clear market gap: while vehicles are everywhere, car washing is not yet part of drivers’ regular routine. In contrast, nearby markets like Lithuania and Latvia, which have adopted the express tunnel and subscription model, now see much higher rates of car care.

In an Express Tunnel car wash, a conveyor system moves several vehicles at once through a series of automatic cleaning stations, handling around 220 cars per hour. This setup increases the speed of each wash compared to standard automatic car washes, which often serve one car at a time, at a rate of only 8 cars per hour. By serving cars faster and offering conveniences like monthly subscriptions, express tunnel systems make car washing quicker and easier, leading customers to wash their cars more often each month.

PRO BRO Express, an international franchise network of Express Tunnel car washes, has already shown in the Baltic countries how the express tunnel model can impact car care habits. On average, drivers who once washed their cars about 10 times per year are now washing up to 30 times a year through PRO BRO’s subscription system. In Latvia alone, PRO BRO has reached nearly one million washes annually across just four locations, despite operating in the market for only a couple of years. Company-wide, annual wash volume has reached five million, with around 30% year-on-year growth. These stats point to real potential for changing long-standing car care habits as the express tunnel model enters Poland.

Why first movers set the standard

Early entry matters in a market like Poland, where car wash habits have not yet fully formed around a subscription or express model. When competition is low and customer routines are not yet set, those who open first can secure the best sites and reach customers before others. Experience from other regions shows that first movers build brand recognition, shape customer expectations, and hold a long-term advantage as repeat habits develop.

“With Poland’s strong potential for growth, early investment in express tunnel car washes will give operators the best chance to secure prime locations and establish market presence before habits settle,” says Evaldas Kinderis, CEO of PRO BRO Group. “With thirty years of car wash experience, we know what makes these projects work. Now is the ideal time to set the standard that new customers will follow, and we are looking for strong local franchise partners who can contribute valuable local insight to ensure success.”

The experience in Vilnius shows how habits can shift when drivers are given a fast and convenient car wash option. In a city with about 350,000 cars, PRO BRO Express locations handle about 2.4 million washes each year. Data indicates that one car wash in Vilnius served around 475,000 visitors in 2025, which is more than the total number of cars in the city. In Poland, where the number of cars is even greater, this model has strong potential, supported by proven technology and the ability to encourage more frequent car care.

How technology is rewriting the business model

The express tunnel model changes how a car wash operates by using automation and process control to move more vehicles through faster at lower cost. Smart sensors and conveyor systems keep down staffing needs while managing each step, from wash and rinse to drying, under consistent quality controls. Technological advantages let an operator serve far more drivers per day compared to standard car wash setups, without sacrificing consistency.

While express tunnel car washes are already common and well-proven in the US, the European market is only now beginning to adopt the format at scale. PRO BRO Express is helping shape this transition by building a European standard for fast, efficient and sustainable car care, based on real operating experience. As the format expands across Europe, investors in Poland have an opportunity to join early and help define what could become the new benchmark for modern car washing in the region. 

“The reason this model is working in Europe is that efficiency is built in at every step,” says Kinderis. “When you control the wash operation with automation, actionable data, and easy payment, you are not only meeting today’s customer needs, you are also building an operation that can support much higher volumes in the long term. This approach makes each site more productive while keeping running costs low, which is what sets express tunnels apart.”

“For investors, the next few years are the key window in Poland,” says Kinderis. “Choosing the right sites now and putting efficient, proven technology in place secures a long-term position in a rapidly developing market. Where habits form first, the returns tend to follow.”