Floor Vink: “I expect a strong uptake of EVs by Dutch corporate fleets”

Floortje Vink (31) is a Dutch automotive journalist. She who works for Amsterdam-based Mobility Media, the recognised b2b publisher for the automotive, fleet and mobility industry with its title Fleet & Mobility in the Netherlands. Floortje collaborated with Global Fleet to create the Wikifleet the Netherlands. We asked her about trends in the Dutch market.

What are the most striking developments on the Dutch market over the last five years?

“These last five years have been dominated by the so-called ‘bijtelling’ – a tax introduced by the Dutch government on the private use of company cars. If you have a car with lower CO2 emissions, you pay less ‘bijtelling’. One result: 2015 was the best year ever for the Peugeot 308 on the Dutch market, because it is one of the models that is extremely cheap for employees to drive as a company car. At the moment, the government has refocused on stimulating the electric vehicle market”. 

“Another striking development – almost every leasing company has become a mobility provider. Even though the traditional leasing contract is still the core business, everyone is experimenting with mobility”.

“Carsharing is still in its infancy, but there is a lot of activity. For example, we have a carsharing Green Deal in the Netherlands, with 38 Dutch organisations committed to getting 100,000 shared cars on the road. At the moment, the figure stands at 30,000. Next year will be very important for this Green Deal”.

“The Netherlands is a leading market when it comes to self-driving cars. There are a lot of pilot projects – also on public roads – and other initiatives to generate progress in this field”.

“And finally, telematics and data have become much more important over the last five years. The software opportunities have increased. Most companies use data and telematics to reduce fuel consumption and improve driver behaviour”.

What would be your main advice to international fleet managers about their Fleet Management in the Netherlands?

“Make sure you have enough knowledge of the Dutch company car taxation system!” 

How do you expect the Fleet Management market in the Netherlands will evolve in the near future?

“The Dutch government has announced that from 2030, all new vehicles sold on the Dutch market will have to be emission-free. The market will adjust to that. So I expect we will see a strong uptake of electric vehicles by Dutch corporate fleets”.

To get a better insight in the Fleet Market of the Netherlands, please consult the Wikifleet page.