Effective incentive?
The national government wants to make electric driving more attractive, so in 2023 it has again filled a subsidy pot with millions of euros to boost the sale and lease of new and used electric cars. But is the current subsidy scheme the right one? It is high time for the next statement: ‘Jan Modaal has no use for the current subsidy scheme for electric cars’.
On Tuesday 10 January, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency uncorked a huge subsidy bottle. There is no less than €99.4 million in subsidy budget available this year, 9 percent more than with which the subsidy pot was filled last year. €67 million is available this year for the purchase of new electric cars. That is less than the €71 million available in 2022. But: because you get €2,950 instead of €3,350 on the purchase or lease of a new electric car with a catalog value of up to €45,000 this year, there is still a budget available for more new EVs. For 22,711 units to be precise, 1,518 more than in 2022.
New electric car
That financial contribution is of course a nice bonus, but it does not suddenly make the electric car accessible to everyone. According to Statistics Netherlands, an average Dutch household had a savings and bank balance of €46,300 in 2021. Average, but Jan Modaal had €18,200 in liquid assets in that same year, according to the same CBS. If we look at the cheapest new electric car in the Netherlands, we end up at the Dacia Spring. With a SEPP subsidy you can take it home from €18,800. According to Statistics Netherlands, a household with the most common savings balance cannot tap it off in one go. Even if that were possible, it is certainly not wise to invest all your money in a car, although the pain may be slightly eased by selling your current car. And then we are talking about the cheapest new EV in the Netherlands and it is certainly questionable whether a Dacia Spring or other ‘cheap’ EVs such as the Renault Twingo Electric and Fiat 500E meet the needs of, for example, an average-earning young family with children. .
For electric cars of a size that is more usable for a family, we quickly come to cars such as the Citroën ë-C4 (€40,140), Kia Niro EV (€44,795) and MG 4 and 5 Electric (€30,785 and €34,585). ). A small €3,000 subsidy is of course nice and means about a ten percent discount in the case of the MG 4 Electric, but that does not immediately make it affordable cars for Jan met de Pet. Buy on credit? You can, but that also costs money.
Second-hand
Of course you can move to the second-hand market. Especially this year. For the purchase of a used electric car with an original catalog value of up to €45,000, there will be even more budget available in 2023 than last year. In total, this concerns €32.4 million, 60 percent (!) More than the €20.4 million that was available in 2022. Just like in 2022, you can claim a €2,000 purchase subsidy. The range of used electric cars is still not impressive, partly because sales of new cars were held back by long delivery times, with the result that even more people turned to the second-hand market for their automobiles. That drives up prices. For around €10,000 you can get into a used Nissan Leaf of ten years old with a 24 kWh battery and an original range of 199 kilometers. Even then, the question is whether this fits your family situation. €2,000 discount on 10 grand is of course attractive, but for younger, more spacious EVs with a longer range, you will soon lose €25,000 or more.
The subsidy scheme is of course also hoped to create a second-hand market. Then you can of course ask yourself whether the subsidy has been given long enough. In 2024, the subsidy scheme will be further reduced and will then disappear completely. Was Jan Modaal really able to benefit from it? Or should Jan Modaal accept that an EV is not yet an option for him or her?
You already heard it: we are curious about your opinion. Will the current subsidy scheme actually achieve the intended effect for the average Dutch person? To be clear: the statement does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the AutoWeek–editorial. The proposition:
Jan Modaal has no use for the current subsidy scheme for electric cars’
You can add explanations and arguments in the comments. As always, your opinion does not have to be someone else’s. We should all be on AutoWeek.nl because we have a thing for cars, so be a little sweet but especially respectful to each other and try not to let yourself be drawn out too much.
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