The number of electric cars driving around in the Netherlands will grow a lot faster in the coming years than previously expected, says ElaadNL. Researchers at the knowledge center are confident that the growth of the market for electric passenger cars will take off from 2025. They note in a forward-looking report that earlier forecasts were “too cautious”.
ElaadNL now expects that the Netherlands will have around 2035 million electric cars by 4. That is one million more than the organization expected two years ago. The acceleration of growth is partly due to stricter European legislation on the emission of CO2, particulate matter and nitrogen oxides. Partly because of this, car manufacturers are more likely to say goodbye to combustion engines and switch to batteries. The cost of electric cars is also falling rapidly: the report cites research stating that the purchase price will be lower than that of petrol or diesel cars by 2026 or 2027.
“Most manufacturers take into account that fossil fuels will completely disappear from the European streets by 2050,” the researchers write. “With a car's lifespan between 15 and 20 years, most European manufacturers will then sell their last petrol and diesel cars between 2030 and 2035.” The Dutch government wants to stop the sale of cars that emit polluting substances from 2030.
smart charging
ElaadNL works on behalf of the joint grid operators. They have to work on expanding the charging infrastructure and with so-called smart charging. This term means that the capacity of the power grid is used as optimally as possible. For example, by ensuring that cars in a neighborhood mainly charge at times when other electricity users use less electricity. Even then, reinforcement of the electricity grid will be necessary in various places, according to ElaadNL.
“This research shows that the electrification of transport is coming our way even faster than previously thought”, concludes ElaadNL director Onoph Caron. According to him, electric transport is still an “underexposed theme in the energy transition” and it is time for this to change.
