A Dutch survey analyzing the habits and pain points of EV drivers has successfully separated some facts from fiction about electric driving. It appears that more than half never need to charge their cars while underway, and that the overwhelming majority charge their cars using solar panels. If you’re looking for the real needs of the modern-day EV driver, you’ll find them in this study.

As the Netherlands is one of the frontrunners in electric car adoption, it has already had a growing community of e-drivers from the very beginning, providing knowledgeable data about what it is like to drive an electric car.

3,000 respondents

The annual Nationaal Laadonderzoek 2025, published this week by the Dutch government’s innovation agency, RVO, alongside ElaadNL and the Vereniging Elektrische Rijders (VER), provides a clear picture of this maturing market. More than 3,000 respondents – a representative cross-section of battery-electric vehicle owners – revealed how charging habits are changing as electric mobility enters the mainstream.

The main conclusions from the national survey are that drivers increasingly charge at home, harnessing rooftop solar and smart tariffs. Their biggest worry isn’t range anxiety, but glitches abroad concerning charging reliability and confused pricing at public stations.

From novelty to necessity

The Dutch market has passed its early adopter phase, once dominated by pioneers venturing into the technology of e-driving. 41% of drivers who switched to an EV this year now fall into the “early or late majority on the Rogers’ curve,” according to the study.

The Rogers’ curve is a general scientific approach to the spread of innovation. “Early or late majority” are two large groups in the middle who adopt a new technology once it has proven itself, but not before. In other words, the Netherlands has reached a phase where the electric car has transitioned from novelty to necessity. The market penetration of EV sales in the Netherlands stands at 35%, and with Belgium at 30%, the profile should be comparable.

Interestingly, these mainstream users report broadly similar experiences to the pioneering veterans, but bring new expectations of price transparency and convenience.

Home is where the charger is

The biggest story remains the dominance of home charging. Nearly two-thirds (61%) of all electric kilometres are charged at home, rising to more than 80% for those with a private driveway. Among this group, nine in ten own solar panels, and seven in ten report deliberately charging at times when the sun is shining. 

It coincides with the rise of smart charging, meaning the switch to electric driving brings about a cost-driven mentality change. Not unexpected: lease drivers (35%) charge more at public chargers, while private customers (25%) tend to limit those sessions. 

By contrast, drivers without private parking rely overwhelmingly on public infrastructure, with 63% of their charging done at roadside posts, and workplace and rapid charging making up the rest.

Public network improves, but confusion lingers

According to the respondents, those public chargers have become more reliable and plentiful. Among them, 95% say they have a station within a five-minute walk, and 59% report it is usually available – up from just under half in 2023. Even so, almost a third admit they rarely know the price before plugging in, despite widespread calls for clearer tariffs.

Rapid charging is increasingly popular for long journeys, but 39% of users cite slower-than-advertised speeds as their biggest frustration. Nevertheless, three-quarters report never encountering serious problems.

The study also reveals how range anxiety manifests in real life: a little less than half of the drivers (48%) report that they never need to charge on the way. Current battery technology appears to be quite adequate in providing the necessary mileage.

Foreign trips

However, holiday travels are a different case. Nearly four in five EV drivers now take their car abroad, a sharp increase from last year. However, it can’t be neglected that 40% experience frustrations, most commonly due to broken chargers or long queues at motorway stations. The survey notes that Dutch drivers heading south for their summer break carry more charging cards than those who stay at home, a sign of lingering fragmentation in Europe’s infrastructure.

But, as mentioned above, perhaps the clearest sign of progress is the rise of “smart charging”. Forty-one per cent of home users now shift consumption to hours with cheaper dynamic tariffs, double last year’s figure. Half are keen to adopt bidirectional charging, turning their car into a battery that can feed power back into the grid. But anxieties remain: 45% worry about the impact on battery life.

For policymakers, the findings underscore both successes and challenges. Dutch EV drivers are ahead of the curve in terms of solar integration and dynamic pricing. Yet, many remain perplexed by their billing systems and are hesitant about the potential pitfalls of taking their cars beyond the border.