Netherlands sees second-hand EV market picking up

Despite continuous negative press about EV sales declining in countries like Germany and France, the Netherlands still sees growth in newly registered and second-hand electric cars. According to the automotive sector organization Bovag, the used EV market is picking up with a 36.9% growth, as more are available from the leasing sector.

The number of electric used cars sold from January to October was 67,384, compared to 49,218 a year ago. The market share of electric vehicles in used car sales is now 3.9 percent in the Netherlands, up 0.7%. 

Still, gasoline cars remain the vast majority, with 75.8 % compared to 78.5 % in the same period in 2023. Hybrids account for 12.4% (up from 8.8%), and diesel further declines from 8.5% to 6.8%.

More fully electric than HEVs

In 2023, the Dutch passenger car fleet comprised 9,233,107 vehicles, including 340,583 fully electric (BEV) vehicles. A vast part of it is leased from companies. In addition, 650,144 hybrids are driving around.

Plug-in hybrids (PHEV) account for 191,657, classic hybrids (HEV) for 305,703, mild hybrids (MEV) for 147,511, and 2,823 are EVs equipped with an ICE generator, the so-called range-extended EVs or EREVs.

615 FCEVs

Remarkable: according to the European Hydrogen Observatory, 615 hydrogen-driven fuel-cell passenger cars (FCEVs) are registered in the Netherlands, which is quite high compared to 107 in Belgium. Germany leads here with 2,122.

But most Dutch swear by their gasoline cars: 7,224,730, down only 1% compared to 2022. Diesel accounts for 906,157 vehicles (11%) and LPG for 98,200 cars (1%).

Cheaper EVs for 18 million households

“If leasing companies electrify their fleets earlier, 18 million more households in the EU will have earlier access to cheaper EVs and save on their car spending,” claims the NGO Transport & Environment (T&E).

“At current electrification rates, 33 million households in the EU will have access to second-hand electric cars from today until 2035,” says T&E. But if the leasing sector accelerates its uptake of EVs, this would go up by 56%, up to 51 million, according to a report published in November 2023 by Transport & Environment.

The leasing sector constitutes an essential channel for cars on the used car market. Four in ten cars entering the second-hand market every year in the EU come from the leasing sector, assuming a three- or four-year leasing period.