Diesel cars fade further from Dutch car market
New figures show electric models growing while diesel is now rarely chosen.
Diesel cars account for an ever-smaller share of the Dutch car market. In the first nine months of 2026, just 1 per cent of new registrations were diesel cars, while fully electric cars reached a record share in September.
In September, 36,259 new passenger cars were registered in the Netherlands, according to figures from RDC analysed by BOVAG and RAI Vereniging. That was 12.6 per cent more than in the same month a year earlier. Over the first nine months of 2026, the total stood at 264,701 registrations, 1.9 per cent fewer than in the same period of 2025.
The growth is concentrated mainly among fully electric cars. They had a market share of 52.8 per cent in September, compared with 37.5 per cent in September last year. Across the first nine months, electric cars accounted for 41.2 per cent. Hybrid cars represented 50 per cent of registrations.
Diesel lagged far behind. In the first nine months, 2,719 new diesel cars were registered, giving them a 1 per cent market share. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) previously reported that sales of diesel models fell by several per cent in the second quarter of 2026 compared with a year earlier. Total sales of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles rose by 4.9 per cent in that quarter.
The shift is visible not only in new-car sales. According to the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), new passenger cars with diesel engines accounted for just 0.1 per cent in 2025. Diesel is also continuing to decline in imports and in the used-car market, according to RVO.
BOVAG and RAI Vereniging cite high fuel prices and the approaching pseudo-final levy for company cars as factors that could accelerate the choice of electric vehicles. This is an explanation from the industry organisations, not an independently established causal effect. Company registrations, tax rules and deliveries at the end of a quarter can also affect the monthly figures.
The market is therefore shifting for manufacturers, dealers and suppliers. Demand for charging infrastructure, battery technology and electric-car maintenance is growing, while diesel remains particularly relevant in parts of the commercial-vehicle market. The figures show a clear direction, but do not yet mean that all Dutch motorists can or want to drive electric in the short term.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Electric cars are growing in new-car sales.
- The share of diesel cars has become small.
- Tax rules and fuel prices affect the market, but the precise effect varies by buyer and vehicle type.
Left
Arguments Fiscal policy should accelerate the shift towards emissions-free mobility and make polluting vehicles less attractive.
Values Climate protection, public health and the polluter pays.
Consequences Faster sustainability improvements may reduce emissions, but higher costs could affect households and small businesses without access to a charging point.
Centre
Arguments The transition should be predictable and affordable, with room for different vehicle types as long as alternatives are not available everywhere.
Values Practicality, affordability and a gradual transition.
Consequences A phased approach limits economic shocks, but may make the transition to sustainability slower.
Right
Arguments Consumers and businesses should be able to choose for themselves on the basis of price, use and reliability; the government should be cautious about favouring one technology.
Values Freedom of choice, competition and affordability.
Consequences Technology-neutral rules can stimulate innovation, but may provide less certainty about the pace of emissions reductions.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The market shares and quarterly figures were checked with BOVAG, CBS and RVO. Explanations concerning fuel prices and business tax incentives are clearly attributed to the industry.
- confirmed In September 2026, 36,259 new passenger cars were registered. — BOVAG publishes this figure based on RDC data. source
- confirmed Fully electric cars had a market share of 52.8 per cent in September. — The percentage appears in the BOVAG report. source
- confirmed Diesel cars had a 1 per cent market share in the first nine months. — BOVAG cites 2,719 diesel registrations and a 1 per cent share. source
- confirmed Sales of diesel models fell by several per cent in the second quarter. — CBS reports this development compared with the second quarter of 2025. source
Editor's note
The registration figures come from RDC, BOVAG, RAI Vereniging, CBS and RVO. The stated causes of the shift are partly explanations from industry organisations and should not be read as a proven one-to-one effect.Sources
- Verkoop nieuwe auto’s toont herstel in derde kwartaal — BOVAG
- Hogere omzetten in auto- en motorbranche in tweede kwartaal — CBS
- Nederlandse automarkt verandert: voor het eerst meer elektrische auto’s — Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland
More on this in Dutch media
- Trouw — „dieselauto elektrische auto”
- RTL Nieuws — „dieselauto elektrische auto”
- FD — „dieselauto elektrische auto”