Electric transport is good for the economy. Dutch charging stations, trucks and buses are conquering territory, also abroad. With this, companies from our country earn about 5 billion euros annually. The number of green jobs in the Netherlands is rising sharply, and is expected to double in 2025. This is apparent from a recently published study carried out by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) on behalf of State Secretary Van Veldhoven (Infrastructure and Water Management).
“This is impressive growth, more than half more in just a few years. The sector is growing rapidly, and is now about three times larger than, for example, the already impressive size of the Dutch bicycle industry. In the coming years we will be working hard to further clean the transport. We all reap the benefits of that. Not only good for the climate and our clean air, but also for our wallet. And for people looking for work. Thousands of jobs will be created in the electric transport sector in the coming years.”
More jobs
There are currently about 7000 full-time jobs in the electric transport sector, a third more than at the previous measurement in 2018. These jobs are mainly found in builders of electric vehicles such as buses and trucks. There is also a lot of employment at charging stations. Dutch companies are at the forefront of smart charging, in which the car battery relieves the power grid. Dutch charging station companies are active throughout Europe, and increasingly in America. Employment in the electric transport sector is expected to almost double by 2025. About 13.500 people will find a full-time job as a mechanic, car builder or charging station expert.
Economic value is rising fast
Companies in the Netherlands currently produce around 5 billion euros worth of electric cars, buses, trucks and other products in the field of electric transport, such as charging stations. That is more than half more than in 2018, when it was more than 3 billion. This makes this sector about three times as large as the Dutch bicycle sector.
The growth is both in the Netherlands and across the border, and for the most part comes from the construction of clean vehicles. DAF is known for its electric trucks. VDL also builds these, just like electric buses for public transport. With Ebusco, the Netherlands has another major player in this area. The Netherlands also has a number of frontrunners in the field of hydrogen. Earlier this year, Holthausen won an order from New Zealand for the production of 1500 hydrogen trucks. At the same time, new innovations arise. In the Netherlands, for example, electric inland vessels are being built and the first fully electric motorhomes have been built in the Netherlands.
Companies earn part of their money from exports, but there is also a lot of demand in the Netherlands itself for clean transport and charging stations. Relatively speaking, nowhere are there as many public charging stations as in the Netherlands and smart charging is on the rise. Many of these charging points are operated by homegrown companies such as EV Box, New Motion, Alfen, Pitpoint or Allego. With more than a thousand emission-free buses in public transport, the Netherlands is at the forefront in Europe. And in the coming years, a strong increase is expected in the number of trucks that drive without emissions. More and more private individuals are also switching to an electric scooter or car. In 2020, a quarter of new cars in the Netherlands were electric, according to the National government.
“This report shows that the transition to electric driving offers opportunities for innovation, green growth and economic productivity in the Netherlands. Investing in electric transport is necessary to achieve the climate goals, so the new cabinet will have to express clear and firm ambitions and translate this into ambitious policy. In this way, the EV sector will continue to grow in the coming years and the Netherlands will expand its position as an international leader.”
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