Electric vehicles accounted for more than one-third of new car registrations in the Netherlands during the first quarter of 2025, with the Kia EV3 becoming the best-selling model in the country, according to data released by the RAI Association, BOVAG, and consultancy RDC.
A total of 32,439 electric cars were newly registered between January and March, representing 35.3% of all new car sales. This marks a 7.9% increase compared to the same period last year, when 30,057 electric vehicles were registered. Despite a 9.8% year-on-year decline in overall new car registrations to 91,766 units, the electric vehicle (EV) market continued to show strong momentum.
“Despite positive figures for electric cars, the growth of electric driving is also being held back by the general decline in the car market,” said Huub Dubbelman, Chairman of the Passenger Cars and Light Commercial Vehicles Section of the RAI Association. “This is happening just when further acceleration is needed. After all, electric driving is not yet a matter of course; only a small proportion of the fleet drives completely emission-free. If the tax incentives are reduced even further after 2026, there is a risk that we will lose the momentum of sustainability.”
Hybrid vehicles held the largest market share at 46.8%, while petrol cars accounted for only 16.5%. The report did not distinguish between mild, full, and plug-in hybrid variants.
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Kia’s EV3, launched in July 2024, was the most registered vehicle in the Netherlands across all drive types during the quarter, with 4,002 new registrations. The compact electric SUV topped monthly sales charts from January through March, outperforming rivals including Tesla.
Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y recorded 1,660 and 1,752 registrations respectively, representing year-on-year declines of 37% and 58%. In contrast, Tesla’s Model Y led the market in 2024 with 19,058 new registrations. The company is aiming for a recovery in 2025 following the rollout of the updated Model Y “Juniper” version.
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The sustained growth in electric vehicle sales underscores a continued shift in consumer preferences, though market observers have warned that reduced government incentives after 2026 could jeopardize the sector’s progress.
Source: bovag.nl, autoweek.nl