This is apparent from an analysis by the RAI Association and Bovag into the sales of electric passenger cars in 2021. According to the interest groups, the growth is mainly due to the introduction of the private purchase subsidy and the increase in more and more affordable electric passenger cars.
The average price of a fully electric car peaked in 2016 at over €79,000. The price has now dropped by more than €28,000 to an average of €51,000 in 2021. “It is expected that even more affordable models will be introduced this year and the coming years, so that the private EV market continues to grow,” says Floris Liebrand of RAI Association.
261,100 plug-in cars
There are now 261,100 plug-in vehicles in our country. That is 2.85% of the total fleet with 9,154,289 passenger cars. “In 2030 there should be 1.9 million and that also means that the number of charging points has to grow. That is now more than 311,000 and 463 of these have to be added every day to ensure that everyone can continue to drive electrically. We now have 2,656 fast charging points at gas stations in our country, but by that time there should also be a multiple of them,” says Liebrand.
Since the beginning of this year, private individuals can again use a purchase subsidy that is available before 2022, as a result of which the share of private registrations in the first two months of 2022 even rose to 56 percent. In total (business and private) 6741 new electric cars were registered compared to 2375 in the same period last year. An increase of 183 percent. Until March 10, more than 42 million euros in subsidy had already been applied for, or for more than 12,000 new EVs, while a total of 71 million euros is available this year.
climate
“The transition to electric driving will help the Netherlands achieve its climate goals,” says Liebrand. Previously, the RAI Association, together with ANWB, Bovag, VNA and Natuur en Milieu, presented a car tax plan to achieve the tightened European climate targets of 55 percent less emissions by 2030 through reform of car taxes. It is crucial that new sales continue to be stimulated until 2030 and that the export of these cars is limited. This will also create a good second-hand market in the Netherlands, making electric driving affordable for more motorists.”
The top 3 best-selling electric cars in 2021 were C-segment cars and consisted of the Skoda Enyaq iV, Kia Niro EV and the Volkswagen ID.4.
‘It drives fantastic’
“Yes, it drives fantastic and in the Netherlands we can get everywhere with it at once. The range in winter is about 300 kilometers and we have never had to use a fast charger. Once on the regular ‘plug’ while we enjoyed a dinner, but that was it”, says EV fan Jeroen ter Kuile from Maarsbergen.
“But normally our Volkswagen ID.3 just hangs at the charging station at home and the battery is always full and we don’t have to worry about the range. But we don’t take it on holiday,” continues Ter Kuile. “We have a house in Portugal, but then you would really have to make a puzzle how to get there via all kinds of fast charging stations. There are many in the Netherlands, but certainly not in the south. No, that’s too much of a fuss. We now consciously drive electric, because we want to be CO2 neutral and this car is also made from recycled material.”