Diesel Sales Plummet, Rechargeable Vans on the Rise
Nowhere in Europe did the sale of new commercial vehicles collapse as intensely as in the Netherlands. This is evident from an AutoWeek analysis of figures published by industry organization ACEA.
In 2025, 1.45 million new commercial vehicles were registered in the European Union. That was almost 9 percent fewer than in 2024. Fewer new commercial vehicles were sold in many countries, but in no other EU country did registrations of new commercial vehicles decline as sharply as in the Netherlands.
Last year, only 20,782 new commercial vehicles were registered in the Netherlands. That was no less than 84 percent fewer than the more than 130,000 units that received a license plate in the Netherlands a year earlier. The market for commercial vehicles looks bleak for importers. Since 2025, commercial vehicles are no longer exempt from BPM (purchase tax). The result: models with an internal combustion engine have become thousands of euros more expensive since last year. In addition, diesel vans (and pick-ups) are increasingly being banned from city centers.
By 2024, nearly 87 percent of all new commercial vehicles still had a diesel engine. The market for diesel vans has completely collapsed. In 2025, only 15 percent of all new commercial vehicles had a diesel engine. In total, this amounted to 3,137 units. That was more than 92 percent fewer than in 2024. The market for commercial vehicles with non-electrified petrol engines has become even smaller with a share of 0.5 percent, and even the market for hybrid vans without a plug has shrunk by 91 percent. However, over 48 percent more electric or plug-in hybrid commercial vehicles were registered: 17,388 units. As a result, the share of electric or plug-in hybrid commercial vehicles in the new commercial vehicle market increased from 9 percent in 2024 to almost 84 percent last year. In other words: only commercial vehicles that can travel fully or partially electrically still find customers.
Looking at the entire EU, we see a completely different distribution. About 80 percent of all new commercial vehicles had a diesel engine. Only 11 percent were plug-in hybrid or electric commercial vehicles.