A new report commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW) clearly shows the cost advantage of a new electric moped or scooter over its sibling with an internal combustion engine (ICE). In the Netherlands, all new light mopeds sold have already had to be electric since this year.
Users of an electric moped, limited to 25 km/hour, save at least 10 cents up to 45 cents per kilometer compared to users of a gasoline moped. Moped riders who are allowed 45 km/hour save up to 5 to 20 cents per kilometer. This is evident from new research by MuConsult and Revnext into the total costs of owning and using a moped and a light moped (TCO).
Extensively used by leasing companies
The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is the total sum of all direct and indirect costs associated with the purchase, use, and maintenance of a product or service throughout its lifespan. This TCO calculation for mopeds encompasses the most significant cost items related to the vehicle’s lifespan: purchase price and depreciation, energy and fuel costs, repair costs, and insurance costs.
This TCO is an instrument used extensively in the leasing sector to calculate the monthly price of a leased car, and it often proves to be more advantageous for electric vehicles than their internal combustion engine (ICE) siblings as well.
Focusing on the purchase price
However, most people are unaware of the actual cost of ownership and focus solely on the initial purchase price when making a decision. At the same time, the real benefits often lie in usage. Unlike electric cars today, electric mopeds are usually already cheaper to purchase than those powered by fossil fuels. An evolution that is expected with EVs, too, in time.
For the study, MuConsult and Revnext compared the top five selling mopeds in 2024, categorized by type: light or heavier mopeds, and both electric and ICE. The lower total costs for electric mopeds and light mopeds are primarily due to lower insurance costs and lower operating costs (electricity vs. gasoline), according to the report.
Light mopeds will be emission-free in 2025
In the Dutch Climate Agreement, industry associations and the national government agreed that all new sales of light mopeds would be emission-free by 2025. Additionally, it has been decided to strive for all new heavier mopeds to be emission-free by 2030. This concerns mopeds and light mopeds, classified under the European vehicle category L1 (two-wheeled mopeds).
In this first year, people with lower incomes will be assisted in switching to an electric moped through trade-in schemes offered by participating municipalities, with the support of the ministry.
Up to €1,200 for trading in an ICE moped
Through the scheme, residents receive up to €1,200 if they exchange their gasoline–powered moped for an electric model. The ministry expects that this year‘s funding will help 3,500 moped riders switch to electric scooters.
Participating municipalities with an (expected) trade–in scheme are currently: Amsterdam, Arnhem, Ede, Eindhoven, Haarlem, Leidschendam–Voorburg, Maastricht, Nijmegen, Rotterdam, and Vlaardingen.
At the end of 2024, 1,289,515 mopeds of category L1 were registered in the Netherlands. In the category of light mopeds (25 km/h) there were 588,389 ones on gasoline, versus 81,727 electric. In the category up to 45 km/h, this is 535,607 on fossil fuels, 64,946 electric.
