‘Gross EV drivers find 300 kilometers of range sufficient’

300 kilometers seems like a kind of magical limit when it comes to the range of an EV. We have sometimes said that in tests, but it now appears to apply to most Dutch EV drivers. The EV and Drivers’ Survey 2022 by the Association of Electric Drivers (VER) and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency shows that almost 70 percent of the 3,800 respondents are ‘positive to very positive’ about the range, if that range is about 300 kilometers or more. Most people seem to be quite carefree with this.

That says something, because the VER also concludes that EV drivers are less and less often pioneers and more often ‘ordinary’ car owners. As a result, EV drivers are also less and less willing to make sacrifices when it comes to range, for example. Where an ‘early adapter’ sometimes wanted to drive extra slowly to reach the destination, an EV nowadays simply has to be able to do what the ‘old’ fuel car was also able to do. Many EV drivers also feel that they are ambassadors for electric driving: 61 percent say so. That may also explain why 37 percent of the respondents regularly let someone else drive the EV. In the vast majority of cases, namely 84 percent, the previous car of Dutch EV drivers was actually a fuel car. The idea that hybrids and plug-in hybrids can be a useful intermediate step is therefore rarely true in Dutch practice.

In the Netherlands, EVs are still strongly associated with business (lease) drivers and addition, but the share of private buyers is growing rapidly. 39 percent of EV drivers bought the electric car privately, compared to 30 percent in 2020. It is hardly surprising that private individuals opted for a used EV much more often than business drivers (41 percent) and therefore also paid less. The average price of a used electric car was between 20 and 30,000 euros, compared to 40 to 50,000 euros for a new one. Private lease also appears to be an attractive option for many people. 77 percent of private leasers even say that this construction was the reason for driving electrically. In most cases, contracts are concluded for a term of 60 months, with the monthly amount usually (in 53 percent of cases) being between 401 and 600 euros.

Average 417 euros maintenance per year

Although buyers are not bound by monthly amounts, they naturally have other responsibilities on their plate. Maintenance, for example. The maintenance costs of an EV are generally lower than those of a fuel car, but EV drivers say they still spend an average of 417 euros per year on maintenance.

Although EV drivers appear to have a second car more often than average (59 against 28 percent), in the vast majority of cases it is the EV that makes the most trips. Earlier today it appeared that the cost in many cases plays a major role in the choice for an electric car. In their own words, business lease drivers switch back to a fuel car in 44 percent of cases if the addition benefit is lost. Something similar applies to individuals. Almost half of private EV drivers indicate that electric driving would be shelved again if the motor vehicle tax for EVs were higher than for a fuel car. The VER is sounding the alarm about this, because that situation will arise in 2025. After all, the MRB exemption for EVs will then expire and many of those relatively heavy cars will cost money every month. Initially a reduced rate applies, from 2026 the full pound.

Solar panels and heat pumps

Nevertheless, the theme of ‘sustainability’ seems to be alive and well for many electric drivers. For example, 59 percent of them say they try to fly less and 33 percent have a heat pump, compared to 42 and 15 percent respectively on average in the Netherlands. 82 percent of EV drivers also have solar panels on the roof, although with an electric car and its own charging option, this can of course also be a financial consideration. Finally, in light of the upcoming elections, it is interesting to see what EV drivers vote for. With 21 percent of the respondents, D66 is the most popular among private drivers, while the business electric driver more often (33 percent of the total) opts for VVD. D66 is on 2 here, with private drivers it is exactly the other way around. GroenLinks finished third in both groups.