ANWB: The reduction of tax benefits for electric cars is going too fast

The number of people Dutch people who are planning on buying an electric car is not increasing even though the demand for electric cars is increasing and more and more affordable models are being placed on the market. This was shown by a study involving 2,000 Dutch people conducted by ANWB.

According to the organization, it is vital that the government continues with measures to make electric driving affordable and bring more clarity about the costs.

Especially the lack of clarity about the motor vehicle tax (MRB) plays a significant part in people’s reluctance to buy an electric car. Half of the people surveyed said that their decision to buy an electric car or not is influenced by motor tax.

The current plans of the Cabinet will see the monthly costs of electric cars increase significantly, and drivers of electric cars will pay more MRB than comparable fuel cars due to the weight of the battery. ANWB believes that this will slow down the transition to electric transport.

ANWB thinks that the incentive measures, especially the MRB discount, are being broken off too quickly when compared to the significant investments that drivers still have to make to buy an electric car.

In addition to the motor vehicle tax, the purchasing price, the range that the cars can drive, and the charging networks also played a large role in the decision to buy an electric car. The ANWB is expecting an increase in second-hand electric cars and more models with a relatively lower purchase price to help with the affordability issues.

The average purchase price of an electric car has risen slightly this year to 46,022 euros. However, the willingness to pay the price has also increased to 34,436 euros. This is why the difference between the average purchase price and the price that buyers want to spend on an electric car has been reduced from 14,151 euros in 2023 to 11,589 euros this year.

A majority of the people surveyed want an electric car with a range of up to 500 kilometers, and four in ten want a range of over 500 kilometers. The average range of an electric car will be 418 kilometers in 2024.

According to the ANWB, the Netherlands currently has 522,000 electric cars, which is around 5.5 percent of all the vehicles in the country. The Netherlands is still the leader in Europe when it comes to public charging station density, with one charging point for every three electric cars.