When it comes to business vehicles, a growing number of business owners are choosing sustainable alternatives in the form of electric delivery vans. They may be looking to reduce their carbon emissions and contribute to reaching their own sustainability targets, or they may be anticipating future regulatory changes.
The councils of around 30 to 40 larger Dutch municipalities will be introducing emission-free zones starting in 2025, as a result of which delivery vans powered by internal combustion engines will be banned from city centres.
Starting on 15 March this year, there has been a national subsidy scheme that makes leasing or purchasing an electric delivery vehicle more attractive to entrepreneurs. For example, you can receive up to €5,000 in subsidies per fully electric delivery van. In a previous article we described how this scheme works and how we can apply for this subsidy for you.
More subsidy options for the electric company car
Did you know that there are many more additional subsidy options? Various local governments and provinces have a range of schemes in place to make the purchase of an electric company car even more attractive for local entrepreneurs. These schemes vary widely, however. We've listed a few for you here, focusing only on the schemes for vans.
Amsterdam
As an entrepreneur, you can apply for two different grants to purchase a zero-emission commercial vehicle. And that subsidy can add up to quite a tidy amount!
Purchase subsidy
You can apply for this subsidy for up to five new or used electric vans (trucks, buses or hydrogen-powered vehicles are also eligible). However, you must be able to show that your company has received less than €200,000 in other subsidies within the past three years, by means of what is known as a ‘de minimis statement’.
You can also receive this subsidy if you lease a zero-emission van. In this case, the leasing company buys the vehicle and must demonstrate that the zero-emission vehicle meets the subsidy requirements.
The following are the conditions you must meet in order to qualify for the subsidy:
- You have a fossil fuel vehicle in your name at the time you apply for a subsidy, and you are planning to buy/lease a new or used zero-emission van;
- You do away with one fossil fuel vehicle per zero-emission vehicle. The old vehicle is sold or traded in and your registration expires;
- You lease the vehicle only after you have applied for the subsidy;
- You are registered with the Chamber of Commerce;
- You use the zero-emission vehicle for business activities in Amsterdam;
- You can demonstrate that:
- You use the zero-emission vehicle for your business on average three or more days per week each month or at least 160 days per year within Amsterdam.
- At the time you apply for the subsidy, you are using a petrol or diesel vehicle for your business driving.
- If your business is not based in Amsterdam, you must demonstrate the connection to Amsterdam with:
- travel records
- a customer list accompanied by customer statements
- a printout of the calendar showing all appointments
The maximum subsidy you can receive is:
- €5,000 for a new zero-emission van with the vehicle classification N1 and a maximum weight of 1,760 kilos;
- 20 percent of the purchase price up to a maximum of €3,000 for a used zero-emission van with the vehicle classification N1 and a maximum weight of 1,760 kilos;
- 20 percent of the purchase price up to a maximum of €40,000 for a new zero-emission van with the vehicle classification N1 and a weight above 1,760 kilos;
- 20 percent of the purchase price up to a maximum of €12,000 for a used zero-emission van with the vehicle classification N1 and a weight above 1,760 kilos.
You can find the full scheme and conditions here.
Brabant, Limburg, Drenthe, Groningen, Gelderland, Overijssel, the metropolitan regions of Amsterdam and Rotterdam–and the cities of Utrecht, Eindhoven and The Hague.
Free public charging station
Many cities and provinces consider electric mobility so important that they have developed initiatives to facilitate electric car or van charging. It’s frequently possible to request a free public charging station in your area if you are unable to charge your car on your own property. This may be near your home or work address – schemes vary by region. The provinces, regions and cities mentioned above have public charging point schemes.
All of the information relating to this is available at Nederland Elektrisch.
Province of Gelderland
In order to increase the sustainability of goods transport, the Province of Gelderland has a subsidy available for investigating how to make your company fleet more sustainable. The resulting report gives you a recommendation on the deployment of electric vans and trucks.
As a legal entity, you can apply for a €3,000 grant if you are established in Gelderland or if, according to the Trade Register, you are affiliated with a legal entity that is established in Gelderland. This report must meet the following conditions:
- The report must be prepared by an expert:
- who is not employed by or otherwise associated with the applicant's company;
- who has experience in advising the applicant on fleet management;
- who has current knowledge relevant to increasing the sustainability of a fleet.
- The report must include (at a minimum):
- a description of the use of the fleet for the purpose of goods transport;
- alternatives for increasing the sustainability of the fleet;
- the way in which an electric van, electric truck or hydrogen-powered truck fits into regular logistics planning;
- the training needs within the company with respect to driving electric vans or electric or hydrogen-powered trucks;
- relevant financial calculations.
As an expert in mobility, ALD Automotive meets the requirements and is therefore able to create this specific report in consultation with you. Our Mobility Design Center provides all the necessary facilities for designing a customised plan together.
You can find more information about the scheme and conditions here.
Would you like to lease an electric vehicle?
There are a lot of things to consider when leasing an electric delivery vehicle. In addition to the subsidy options, you should also consider which van will best suit your business. What range do you need, for example? What about the installation of custom options and conversions, or locations for charging your vehicle? Make sure you have all the information to hand. We are pleased to offer comprehensive solutions for electric mobility, including charging and payment.
Would you like to know more? Please feel free to contact our lease consultants at +31 (0)20 658 70 00. Alternatively, you can also send an e-mail to info.nl@aldautomotive.com. We’ll contact you as soon as possible.