Of the total number of car sales in Netherlands in the first three quarters of 2014, hybrid or electric cars accounted for 4.3%. The number was even higher in the last quarter of 2013; 15%. According to Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, who published the report, the high electric car sales in Netherlands are mainly as a result of fiscal measures. Electric vehicles are not manufactured in Netherlands. For this reason Roland Berger made a comparison between the Dutch sales figures and figures of primary electric vehicle manufacturing nations such as France, Germany, U.S., Japan, Italy South Korea and China. Of the mentioned countries, France sold the highest percentage of hybrid and electric cars.
Netherlands sold 14,282 electric and hybrid cars in the last quarter of 2013. The Mitsubishi Outlander was the best-selling car, with sales totaling 8,039. Japan is the major manufacturer of most hybrid and electric cars sold in Netherlands. Other popular brands are the Nissan Leaf and the Toyota Prius. The biggest producers of electric and hybrid cars worldwide are the United States and Japan. The biggest car battery manufacturer is Japan with a 60% share. Netherlands has set a goal of having 200,000 electric and hybrid cars on the road by the year 2020. Currently, there are 70,000 such cars, which accounts for about 1% of the total.
The fiscal advantages of hybrid and electric cars in the Netherlands were reduced after 1st January 2014. This resulted in still healthy, but slower sales. Roland Berger has stated that the Netherlands has an attractive electric and hybrid cars’ market, thanks to the “e-mobility,” which has in the past few years being strongly supported by lawmakers. Since 2013, the number of charging stations for plug-in hybrid and electric cars has doubled.
Last week, Fastned, a leading provider of fast-charging electric cars in the Netherlands made an announcement that the European Union had donated €2 million subsidy to aid in building 94 plug-in charging stations in the Netherlands and Germany. The stations will be an addition to the already existing 155 locations within four countries. Currently, Fastned has 18 active fast charging stations along Netherlands’ highways. The company has been adding a new station on a weekly basis.
Judging from the situation in the Netherlands, it can be presumed that electric and hybrid car sales are likely to increase in the near future. These cars are gradually gaining popularity and will soon replace the conventional gasoline-fueled cars.