‘Additional incentive policy for electric cars needed’

The Electric Drivers’ Association is of the opinion that the climate ambitions set by the cabinet for the mobility sector are not high enough. According to the interest group, it is difficult in the current way to Fit for 55-to achieve the proposals of the European Commission (55 percent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2030). VER advocates, among other things, an additional incentive policy to make the electric car more attractive.

The coalition agreement states, among other things, that the aim is to sell only new zero-emission cars in the Netherlands from 2030. Electric cars or models with a fuel cell or with solar cells. According to VER, there is no concrete plan to achieve this. In its Climate and Energy Outlook, the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency estimated that current policy will only lead to a 42 percent share of electric cars in total sales. In order to achieve the aim of ‘full EV sales by 2030’ – and thus make a significant contribution to realizing the Fit for 55-proposals – additional financial management policy would be necessary, the association believes.

The current SEPP scheme (purchase subsidy) for the purchase of a new or used electric car will look different after this year. In 2023, the financial contribution for the purchase of a new electric car will no longer be €3,350, but €2,950. In 2024, this amount will be further reduced to €2,550 and after that year the incentive scheme will expire completely. VER believes that the phasing out of the scheme is going too fast and that it will stop completely too soon. According to the interest group, its own research also shows that some of the new electric drivers may drop out faster if the mrb and addition that applies to an electric car is increased in the future. VER argues for clarity about the future in the field of a possibly lower MRB for electric cars, additional tax credit and purchase subsidy. Boosting EV and used EV sales is, according to VER, necessary to build a more attractive second-hand market for electric cars.