For this reason, the Dutch fill up with more petrol

Given the increasing prevalence of electric cars and hybrid vehicles, one might think that the Dutch are using less petrol. This does not appear to be the case. According to RLT Z, the Dutch are actually filling up with more petrol than before.

The business medium used figures from the Ministry of Finance. Excise tax revenue shows how much gasoline and other fuels were sold between 2019 and 2023.

The Dutch are filling up with more petrol

The most striking fact is that the Dutch are filling up with more petrol than before. Last year, 5.99 billion liters of the fuel were bottled. In 2019, only 180 million liters of gasoline were sold. There is no longer any sign of this “corona dip”.

Even if it sounds strange at first that the Dutch use more gas, it actually makes sense. We have been able to see for some time now from the sales figures for new and used cars that diesel is becoming less and less popular. The decline of diesel is happening much faster than the rise of the fully electric car. This means more trips have to be made with a different fuel.

Between 2019 and 2023, the number of liters of diesel fueled fell by 13 percent. A significant decline.

Vehicle tax for electric cars

The question remains whether the Dutch will also use more gasoline in the coming years. Gradually, an ever larger part of the Dutch vehicle fleet is becoming electric or electrified. However, from 2026, full vehicle tax will also have to be paid for electric cars. This is often a higher amount than an equivalent petrol car as electric vehicles are heavier due to the battery pack.

There is currently no special regulation for vehicle tax for electric cars. If this is not implemented, it is expected to have a major impact on how much petrol the Dutch use. Would you like to stay up to date with all developments in the automotive industry? Then subscribe to the free Autovisie newsletter.