Dutch auto sales decline in February, but EV market grows

New car registrations in the Netherlands fell by 8.3 percent in February, with 27,820 passenger vehicles registered, according to press release from BOVAG, RAI Vereniging, and RDC. In February 2024, 30,332 new cars were registered.

Despite the decline, electric vehicle (EV) sales continued to rise. A total of 10,174 EVs were registered, marking a 22.4 percent increase. Hybrid vehicles remained the most registered category, with 12,498 units, though their numbers dropped by 6.1 percent. Hybrids accounted for 44.9 percent of all new registrations, followed by EVs at 36.6 percent.

Kia remained the best-selling brand, with 3,517 registrations and a 12.6 percent market share. Toyota followed with 1,929 units (6.9 percent), while BMW ranked third with 1,740 registrations (6.3 percent). Hyundai and Renault completed the top five.

The Kia EV3 was the most registered model, with 1,226 units, representing 4.4 percent of total sales. Other popular models included the Kia Picanto (691 registrations), Kia Niro (681), Citroën C3 (614), and Ford Kuga (599).

Among EVs, the Kia EV3 led with 1,226 registrations and a 12.1 percent market share. It was followed by the Citroën C3 (556), Tesla Model Y (537), Volvo EX30 (476), and Tesla Model 3 (437).

Hybrid vehicles held the largest market share at 44.9 percent, while fully electric cars made up 36.6 percent of new registrations. Gasoline-powered vehicles accounted for 17.2 percent, while diesel and LPG models remained marginal, with 1.1 percent and 0.2 percent shares, respectively.

BOVAG, representing over 8,000 mobility sector businesses, and RAI Vereniging, which advocates for more than 700 vehicle manufacturers and importers, provided the data as part of their ongoing market analysis.