One in Five Cars in the Netherlands Now Electric or Hybrid

The Netherlands has reached a significant milestone in its transition to sustainable transport, with over 2 million passenger cars featuring electric motors as of January 1, 2026. According to data from Statistics Netherlands (CBS), more than one in five passenger cars on Dutch roads is now fully electric, hybrid, or a plug-in hybrid.

The total number of passenger cars in the Netherlands stood at 9.4 million in early 2026, representing a nearly 2 percent increase compared to 2025. CBS reported that this growth in the total vehicle fleet is entirely attributable to vehicles equipped with electric motors.

Breakdown of Electric Vehicle Growth

The fleet of electric-motor vehicles grew by nearly 25 percent over the previous year. While all electric categories saw increases, the growth was not uniform across the different types of propulsion systems.

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) experienced the most significant surge, with a growth rate of 40 percent over the past year. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) remain the most common type of electric car in the country, totaling 800,000 vehicles. This segment grew by 19 percent year-on-year and has nearly quadrupled in number since 2019.

Fully electric vehicles (FEVs) also saw substantial gains, increasing by 22 percent over the last year to reach nearly 700,000 units. This represents a fifteenfold increase in the number of FEVs since 2019.

Market Shift in New Car Sales

The composition of new car sales reflects a rapid departure from traditional internal combustion engines. In 2018, just over 11 percent of all new passenger cars sold in the Netherlands featured an electric motor. By 2025, that figure climbed to nearly 86 percent.

Conversely, the market share for petrol-powered cars has dropped from 75 percent to 13 percent. Diesel vehicles have seen an even steeper decline, with only 1 percent of all new cars sold running on diesel.

Market interest in electric options has remained high in recent weeks, which sources attribute to rising fuel prices caused by the war in Iran.

Demographics and Regional Distribution

The adoption of electric vehicles varies significantly across different age groups and municipalities. The most prominent adopters are individuals aged 50 to 65, who account for 34 percent of private electric car registrations.

Geographic distribution also shows a wide disparity in adoption rates:

• Rozendaal has the highest concentration of electric cars per 1,000 inhabitants, where 1 in 5 residents owns one.
• Schiermonnikoog has the lowest concentration, with 39 electric cars per 1,000 inhabitants.

This shift in the national fleet is impacting the country through lower emissions and evolving infrastructure requirements. CBS continues to monitor these trends to inform government policies regarding sustainability, economic planning and infrastructure development.