How many plug-in cars are there on our roads?
In the first quarter of 2025, the number of plug-in cars in the Netherlands surpassed one million for the first time. That means that more than one in ten passenger cars in the Netherlands is now a plug-in car. Since 2023, road traffic has consumed more electricity than rail traffic due to the increase in the number of plug-in cars.
Plug-in cars include both fully electric cars (594 thousand) and plug-in hybrids (410 thousand). Since early 2025, the number of private individuals owning a plug-in car has surpassed that of business drivers.
Plug-in cars remain popular among business drivers, however. 39 percent of cars owned by businesses are plug-in cars, compared to 6 percent of cars owned by private individuals.
More electricity consumed by road traffic than by rail traffic
The growing number of plug-in cars has also led to an increase in electricity consumption due to domestic transport. Between 2019 and 2025, this rose from 9 PJ to 17 PJ. Electricity consumed by road traffic, in particular, increased fivefold.
Since 2023, more electricity has been consumed by road traffic than by rail traffic. Domestic transport accounted for 4 percent of total electricity consumed in 2024.
One-fifth of energy used comes from renewable sources
In 2024, renewable energy from sources such as solar, wind and biomass accounted for 20 percent of gross national energy consumption in the Netherlands. In 2023, this was 17 percent.
This increase is mainly because new offshore wind turbines have come into service and more biodiesel was used by road traffic. The share of renewable energy in the Netherlands has more than doubled over the past five years.
CO2 emissions are falling
In 2024, greenhouse gas emissions in the Netherlands were 2 percent lower, year on year. The electricity and mobility sectors emitted less in 2024, while the manufacturing sector emitted more. CO2 emissions from the mobility sector fell by over 6 percent, partly due to the increase in electric vehicles.