There have been many benefits and pots created to make the electric car popular, but the end of many of these great benefits is now in sight. When it comes to road tax for electric driving, we will see major changes in the coming years, whereby the exact implementation of the tax system will even have to be re-examined to ensure that the EV does not become twice as expensive as a petrol or diesel car. Below you can read everything you need to know about electric driving and road tax for the coming years.
Road tax for electric cars versus traditional combustion engines
The Dutch government decided upon the introduction of electric driving to exempt these cars from motor vehicle tax, often referred to as road tax in common parlance. The idea was to maintain this exemption until 2020, but the Netherlands decided at an early stage that the exemption would apply for a longer period in order to further stimulate electric driving.
However, this exemption does not last forever and secretly that is logical. Road tax is determined on the basis of the emissions and the weight of the car. In terms of emissions, the electric car is of course an absolute winner compared to cars with traditional combustion engines, but in terms of weight, things are a little different. That is why owners of electric cars will also have to pay road tax after 2025.
Adjustments in 2025
In 2025, the exemption from road tax for electric cars will be significantly adjusted for the first time. However, the transition will be cautious, because owners of electric cars will receive a 75% discount on the tax in 2025. However, this will only apply for one year, because in 2026, the road tax for electric cars will be adjusted again.
The adjustments in 2026: uncertain about the content
However, it is not yet clear what will happen with electric driving and road tax after 2026. It is clear that the discount on road tax for electric cars will disappear, but there is a good chance that the entire system will also be thrown in the trash. With the current system, an electric car would cost twice as much in road tax and that is at odds with the objectives and plans of the Dutch government and the European Union. After all, electric driving must be kept attractive.
There is a possibility that a kilometer charge will be used (which has already been proposed several times in the House of Representatives), but it is also possible that a new balance will have to be found between weight and emissions, in which emissions become the determining factor and weight plays a smaller role.
If the latter is the solution, the system will have to be overhauled again within a few years. At the moment that the majority of cars on Dutch roads are electric, the weight will have to be considered, because the money from the road tax pot will then be needed for the maintenance of Dutch roads.
What about PHEVs and motor vehicle tax in the Netherlands?
Plug-in hybrids also enjoy road tax benefits, although to a lesser extent. If your PHEV emits less than 50 grams of CO2 per kilometre, you will receive a 50% discount in 2024, a 25% discount in 2025 and the discount will expire completely in 2026 (as with fully electric cars). How this will be arranged in 2026 is not yet known at the time of writing. However, there is a good chance that the benefit for the hybrid will disappear completely, because it does not fit in with the long-term objectives within the Netherlands and the European Union.
