BMW Group Belux has signed what it calls “the largest electric corporate fleet deal ever concluded in Belgium with one car manufacturer”. Logistics group Katoen Natie will replace more than 1,000 combustion-engined company cars with electric BMW and Mini models by the end of 2027.

The deal, announced at Katoen Natie’s headquarters in Antwerp, covers mainly the BMW iX1 and the electric Mini Countryman. BMW says future Neue Klasse models will also be included, such as the BMW iX3 and the recently presented BMW i3, both available with bidirectional charging.

Energy angle is crucial

According to BMW Belux, the switch should cut Katoen Natie’s annual CO2 emissions by around 3,350 tonnes and save some 800,000 liters of fossil fuel. The order will be supported by a roll-out of charging infrastructure on the company’s Belgian sites, linked to smart systems that adjust charging to local energy production and grid load.

That energy angle is crucial to the story. Katoen Natie is not only ordering electric cars, but wants to integrate them into a broader energy system built around its own solar panels, wind turbines, battery storage, and energy management. The group has 1.7 million square meters of solar panels installed on its logistics centers and produces 167,000 MWh of green electricity annually.

“For us, electrification is not a stand-alone project, but a logical next step within a broader energy and sustainability strategy,” said Joris Verheulpen, Chief Procurement Officer at Katoen Natie. “We are building an integrated system in which vehicles, energy production, storage, and smart control reinforce each other.”

For Katoen Natie, the move is remarkable because its Belgian company-car fleet was still entirely fossil until now. Belga reported that the Antwerp logistics group currently has no electric company cars in Belgium. De Tijd added that the order will replace all fossil Mercedes, Volkswagen, and BMW cars used by Belgian employees over the coming year and a half.

The company has around 21,000 employees worldwide, of whom about 7,000 work in Belgium. Slightly more than 1,000 of them have a company car. In other words, this order should take the Belgian passenger-car fleet from virtually zero to almost fully electric in one move.

The investment is substantial, although neither BMW nor Katoen Natie is disclosing the price or the discount granted. Belga estimated very cautiously that the cars alone represent at least €40 million, before the charging infrastructure. Katoen Natie will buy the cars itself, rather than lease them.

Leading brand in Belgium and Luxembourg

For BMW, the order is an important corporate conquest, but not a market-share earthquake. BMW was already the leading brand in Belgium and Luxembourg in the first five months of 2026, with a 10.9% market share according to Febiac data, ahead of Volkswagen, Mercedes, Audi, and Peugeot. In 2025, BMW registered 44,731 cars in Belgium, while the total Belgian passenger-car market reached about 415,000 units.

Seen in that light, 1,000 extra EVs are equivalent to a little over 2% of BMW’s Belgian volume last year, or roughly a quarter of a percentage point of the total Belgian car market if all were registered in one year. Since deliveries will run until the end of 2027, the direct annual market-share effect will be smaller.

The strategic impact is larger. Belgium’s electric market is still heavily driven by corporate fleets, helped by company-car taxation that increasingly favors zero-emission vehicles. Winning 1,000 premium EV registrations in one corporate deal strengthens BMW’s position in a market where fleet decisions increasingly determine brand rankings.

The Katoen Natie deal also follows another large BMW Belux fleet order. Last year, PwC Belgium ordered 723 fully electric BMW and Mini models, including BMW iX1s and Mini Acemans. The new Katoen Natie contract lifts the benchmark further and gives BMW a high-profile logistics customer rather than another consultancy fleet.

Working with Mercedes and Volvo on trucks

The broader picture at Katoen Natie is more nuanced. The company has been electrifying parts of its industrial operations for years, including some cranes and terminal equipment, and is testing or deploying electric trucks in specific operations.

But most heavy trucks still run on diesel, because range and operational flexibility remain decisive in logistics. Fernand Huts also said the company is working with Mercedes and Volvo on trucks.