Car dealers in the Netherlands began the year with not-so-expected figures, as new-car sales fell sharply in January. According to trade organisations BOVAG and RAI Vereniging, just 28,347 new cars left Dutch showrooms last month, representing a decline of more than 13 per cent compared with January last year.
The drop was particularly pronounced for all-electric vehicles, which saw sales plummet by 35.4 per cent. Only 7,165 fully electric cars were registered in January, bringing their market share to 25.3 per cent. A year earlier, electric cars had commanded 35.4 per cent of the market.
In contrast, hybrid vehicles – which combine an electric motor with a conventional combustion engine – showed significant growth. Sales of hybrids reached 17,571 units in January, an increase of 18.4 per cent. Their market share now stands at 62 per cent.
A spokesman for BOVAG could not fully explain the sharp drop in overall car sales but noted a strong push in the final months of last year. “These are registrations that have been brought forward,” he said.
Aumacon, a market research firm specialising in the automotive industry, attributes the decline mainly to the cold winter weather. The agency described it as “a somewhat disappointing start” after a recovery in car sales in the second half of last year.
In total, 388,024 cars were registered in the Netherlands last year, an increase of 1.7 per cent when compared to 2024. Volkswagen was the most popular brand last month, with a market share of 8.5 per cent. Indeed, this popularity is inferred solely from sales. This was followed by Kia, Hyundai, BMW and Škoda. At Tesla, the long-time market leader in electric cars, sales plummeted to 307 units in January. A year earlier, there were 927.
@ANP | NEWS BRAINPORT
