Skip to main content

Dutch electric car sales double in past year

The sale of electric cars in the Netherlands nearly doubled from 579 cars in August 2012 to 1,120 cars in August 2013, according to the Dutch vehicle registration authority VWE.
September 18, 2013 Read time: 1 min
The sale of electric cars in the Netherlands nearly doubled from 579 cars in August 2012 to 1,120 cars in August 2013, according to the Dutch vehicle registration authority VWE.

The overall increase is said to be due to rising sales of range extender vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles, largely thanks to fiscal regulations that enable companies to claim back up to 75% of the purchasing costs. However, these vehicles are often not as sustainable as expected, because drivers often choose to drive on petrol instead of on electricity, while the weight of the electric generator makes the car use more fuel.

The lower sales of cars fuelled solely by electricity are said by VWE to be due to concerns over the maximum distance the cars can travel.

Related Content

  • Cars have electric future
    February 23, 2012
    The market for electric cars looks set to expand rapidly as the technology improves. Past vehicles have suffered from poor range imposed particularly by limitations in available battery technology.
  • Massive growth expected for electric vehicle sales
    December 12, 2013
    A massive growth in sales is expected for electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles in coming years, according to a forecast from specialist IDTechEx. According to the report, the total global gross value market for hybrid and pure electric vehicles will reach US$334 billion by 2020. At present the total global gross value market for hybrid and pure electric vehicles is worth some $69 billion. The report suggests that the market for these vehicles will primarily consist of large or very heavy duty vehicles, nei
  • Solutions to road user charging
    April 11, 2012
    In this second of a two-part article, Jack Opiola, demonstrates that the imposition of a government provided GPS mandate to levy mileage tax could be eliminated by offering motorists transparent choices regarding their manner of compliance. The key to a mileage tax system without a GPS mandate is through offering motorists choices. Most motorists are consumers who are comfortable with selecting products and services from among options available in the marketplace. A mileage tax can be built upon this reali
  • Solutions to road user charging
    February 28, 2012
    In this second of a two-part article, Jack Opiola, demonstrates that the imposition of a government provided GPS mandate to levy mileage tax could be eliminated by offering motorists transparent choices regarding their manner of compliance. The key to a mileage tax system without a GPS mandate is through offering motorists choices. Most motorists are consumers who are comfortable with selecting products and services from among options available in the marketplace. A mileage tax can be built upon this realit