Mathilde Carlier
Research Expert covering transportation and logistics
Electric vehicles in the Netherlands - statistics & facts
In September 2024, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency announced a new subsidy scheme to help fund private charging infrastructure for commercial vehicles. The scheme is one of the latest in the Dutch government’s efforts to subsidize electric vehicles and boost their adoption by consumers. The Netherlands was the sixth-largest electric vehicle market in Europe in 2023, based on new registration volumes, with electric vehicles representing over 43 percent of the total car sales in the country that year. As the share of electric vehicles in the Dutch car fleet increases, the Netherlands also invested in the expansion of its charging network, which increases confidence among drivers that electric vehicles are reliable transport.
Meanwhile, the market for light commercial vehicles is much more developed. While manufacturers have struggled to find solutions for powering heavy goods vehicles with electricity, the lower weight of commercial vans has meant that electric models have been available for longer, and a wider range of models are available. The most popular options for fully electric vans are the Volkswagen ID.Buzz and the Toyota Proace City Verso.
Amsterdam, the Netherlands’ capital city, was among the five largest cities in Europe with the best public charging infrastructure availability. The region around Amsterdam has one of the densest charging infrastructure networks in the country, and the province of North Holland, of which Amsterdam is a part, had the second-highest number of fully electric passenger cars among all provinces in 2023. However, a fleet of around 51,200 battery-electric passenger cars in a population of nearly three million people in North Holland indicates that a substantial shift towards electric mobility will be necessary in the coming years if the targets are to be met. Forecasts are showing that this shift is already underway. Battery-electric vehicle sales in the Netherlands are predicted to grow significantly in the coming years, reaching a sales volume of over 216,200 in 2024.
The Netherlands’ commitment to electrifying its transport sector already records promising results across vehicle type, due in part to government intervention through the provision of various subsidies. While efforts are still needed to overcome the challenges brought on by fleet decarbonization, the Dutch electric vehicle market stands out as one with the highest consumer adoption rates in Europe.
Commercial vehicles are increasingly electric
Alongside electric passenger cars, the number of commercial electric vehicles on Dutch roads has also been increasing. Yet, electric vehicles currently only make up a small fraction of the Dutch commercial vehicle fleet. The Dutch government is trying to encourage the uptake of electric and hydrogen trucks for commercial use by offering a subsidy that targets the current price difference between diesel and alternative fuel trucks. Since 2022, companies have been able to claim back between 40 and 60 percent of the price difference between a diesel and an electric or hydrogen truck.Meanwhile, the market for light commercial vehicles is much more developed. While manufacturers have struggled to find solutions for powering heavy goods vehicles with electricity, the lower weight of commercial vans has meant that electric models have been available for longer, and a wider range of models are available. The most popular options for fully electric vans are the Volkswagen ID.Buzz and the Toyota Proace City Verso.
Zero emission mobility in Amsterdam
While the Netherlands, in line with other EU member states, aims to decarbonize its transport sector, the city of Amsterdam plans to go a step further: As part of its clean air strategy, it plans to only allow zero-emission transport into the city center as of 2030. The ban will include any vehicle operating on Amsterdam's roads and waterways, including cars, commercial vehicles, buses, ferries, and other boats. The intended timescale for a shift to zero-emission vehicles is even shorter for many of these vehicles. Buses, taxis, commercial vehicles, scooters, mopeds, and ferries with combustion engines are to be banned starting in 2025.Amsterdam, the Netherlands’ capital city, was among the five largest cities in Europe with the best public charging infrastructure availability. The region around Amsterdam has one of the densest charging infrastructure networks in the country, and the province of North Holland, of which Amsterdam is a part, had the second-highest number of fully electric passenger cars among all provinces in 2023. However, a fleet of around 51,200 battery-electric passenger cars in a population of nearly three million people in North Holland indicates that a substantial shift towards electric mobility will be necessary in the coming years if the targets are to be met. Forecasts are showing that this shift is already underway. Battery-electric vehicle sales in the Netherlands are predicted to grow significantly in the coming years, reaching a sales volume of over 216,200 in 2024.
The Netherlands’ commitment to electrifying its transport sector already records promising results across vehicle type, due in part to government intervention through the provision of various subsidies. While efforts are still needed to overcome the challenges brought on by fleet decarbonization, the Dutch electric vehicle market stands out as one with the highest consumer adoption rates in Europe.
