As of this summer, motorists will be able to apply for a subsidy of 4.000 euros for a new electric car and 2.000 euros for a second-hand one! You can also apply for the subsidy if you private lease an electric car. This subsidy programme stems from the climate agreement.

Strict subsidy conditions

These subsidies won’t be given out willy nilly, of course, certain conditions apply. The subsidy is only available for electric cars with a catalogue value between 12.000 and 45.000 euros and an activity radius of at least 120 kilometres. Additionally, the purchased car has to stay in the Netherlands for a few years and cannot change owner.

If motorists with a lease contract end said contract within four years, the subsidy, which is paid in monthly instalments, will stop. Electric car owners who buy another car within three years will have to pay some of the subsidy back. In order to prevent abuse of this subsidy scheme, the subsidy can only be procured if the electric car leased or bought is done so via an accredited company. A private individual may only apply for the subsidy once.

As the price to buy electric cars new is decreasing, the subsidy will also decrease in the coming years. Up until 2021, it will remain 4.000 euros, but from 2022 to 2025 it will gradually be reduced to 2.500 euros. The subsidy will, however, stay at 2.000 euros for used electric cars. Currently, the Netherlands is the only country in Europe to offer subsidies on buying or leasing electric cars.

Complying with the climate agreement

In the climate agreement that was finalised last June, the Netherlands consented to financially stimulate the use of electric vehicles with a budget of 250 million euros until the end of 2025. Electric vehicles are emission-free, meaning they don’t pollute the environment or directly contribute to climate change. The government is working hard to make it easier to drive electric cars by providing more charging stations and investing in the electricity grid’s capacity.