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

  • Increasing fatality and injury levels on UK’s roads
    September 27, 2012
    Concern has been expressed in the UK over the release of accident statistics for 2011 that reveal an increase in road fatalities over the previous year. This is the first national rise in road deaths and serious injuries in 17 years. In all 1,901 people died on the UK’s roads in 2011, an increase of 3% of the figures for 2010 while those seriously injured rose 2% to 23,122. Interestingly, the number of fatalities fell for three types of road user, with a fall of 22% for bus and coach occupants, 10% for moto
  • Major advances are being seen in aggregate production technologies
    June 28, 2013
    Recent exhibitions have been launch venues for key developments in aggregate production technologies - Mike Woof reports Efficient production of aggregates is crucial for maintaining cost-effectiveness and also lowering material costs. With contractors owning many of their own quarry operations, these firms understand the benefits of reducing materials costs for their road construction projects. Major developments in the equipment for crushing, screening and washing aggregates are now coming to market and e
  • Market for PHEV and PEV vehicles to 2017 assessed
    April 25, 2012
    According to a report from Pike Research, hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) combined will represent 3.1 per cent of worldwide auto sales by 2017. Thanks to predicted higher penetration rates in the United States, Pike believes HEVs and PEVs will account for 5.1 per cent of total US vehicle sales in 2017.
  • Volvo CE moves on carbon reduction
    September 30, 2022
    David Arminas asks why Volvo Construction Equipment recently exhibited at MOVE, a major London urban mobility exhibition. Mats Bredborg explains it all