Businesses will soon lose work if they keep using petrol, diesel vehicles: ING

In a year in a half, entrepreneurs with a petrol or diesel van will no longer be able to take jobs in environmental zones set up by several municipalities. Erik Slaaf, sustainability manager at ING Lease, warned about this after reports in De Telegraaf. According to him, many entrepreneurs have less time than they think to buy sustainable delivery vans as profitably as possible.

A few dozen municipalities have so far made plans for zero-emission zones for freight transport, Natuur & Milieu previously reported. Only vehicles that do not emit CO2 and other harmful substances are allowed in such areas, for example, to supply shops. From 1 January 2025, such zones will be in effect in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Assen, and Dordrecht, among others. Cars and other vehicles will then have to run on electricity or another sustainable fuel.

Of the 990,000 vans currently driving in the Netherlands, 1.4 percent are electric, said Slaaf. According to him, companies must make “quick pace” in purchasing vehicles that don’t run on petrol or diesel. “If you postpone the investment in electric vehicles until the last minute, you run the risk of having to purchase many expensive company cars simultaneously.” According to him, making all commercial vehicles more sustainable step by step is better because entrepreneurs can then receive a subsidy.

New charging stations for electric vehicles require a new or heavier connection to the grid. Grid operators warn that the grid is becoming full in more and more places. People then have to wait longer before they can get a new connection. Slaaf advises not to wait too long before applying for a connection. “The longer you delay the transfer, the longer the waiting line becomes.”