Sales of new cars increased last year due to a late rush in December

A total of 381,277 cars were newly registered in 2024. This is an increase of 3.1 percent compared to a year before (369,631 registrations). This growth is partly due to a significant increase in December. At that time, 37,087 cars were registered, which was 40.3 percent more than in December 2023 (26,439 registrations). This is evident from figures from RAI Vereniging, BOVAG, and RDC.

From a current overview of the driving fleet, it is evident that petrol cars are still the most popular cars in the country (6.975,013 cars and a market value of 75.1 percent). This is followed by hybrids (1.021,626, 11 percent), diesel (691,208, 7.4 percent), and electric vehicles (498,901, 5.4 percent). With 159,705 new registrations, hybrids still performed slightly better than fully electric variants, according to the RAI Association.

Bert de Kroon, the chairman of BOVAG Autodealers, said it is encouraging that “electric cars were able to strengthen their position in the market despite the continuous insecurity. While European CO2 standards are under fire and the Netherlands still lacks a long-term vision for electric driving, a consistent course for 2025 is essential to maintain growth and keep our climate goals within reach."

Huub Dubbelman of RAI Vereniging said that the transition to fully electric driving remains a challenge. "New battery-electric, plug-in, and mild hybrid-powered cars all ultimately contribute to better air quality and to achieving these objectives. It is therefore crucial that all forms of electric driving remain attractive and affordable for consumers in the future."