Belgium among the best prepared countries for…
The transition to the electric car is engaged throughout Europe. Because this transition will be forced by the European Commission which decreed that, from 2035, no new thermal vehicle will be authorized for sale on our continent. Some pay in advance already the switch by adjusting their legislation.
This is the case of the Norway which serves as an example for all of Europe, but also somewhere in Belgium or Only 100% electric company cars will be deductible from 2026. Given the importance of company cars in our market (more than 60% of sales), this provision also contributes to accelerating the transition.
Yes, but here it is: a lot ofobservers – even users – believe that the country is not not ready for this transition. Because the products remain too expensive and therefore inaccessible, while the charging infrastructure absolutely does not follow. What is considered a reality by some, however, is not not shared by the car rental specialist Rental plan which publishes every year LeasePlan Electric Vehicle Readiness Indexthat is to say a readiness ranking from European countries to electric mobility. And, apparently, Belgium is not the cancer we think.
3 criteria
To establish his rankingLeaseplan is based on three criteria : the maturity of market electric vehicles (percentage of EV registrations and EV market shares), the maturity from infrastructure dedicated to electric vehicles (number of charging points with free access and the proportion of fast charging stations) and the Total cost of ownership – total cost of ownership – of an electric vehicle (vehicle purchase price, tax incentives, energy prices and a comparison of EV rental prices).
For this year 2022, it is Norway which, with its experience of several years, prances at the top of the ranking. This Nordic country is followed by the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Austria and Sweden. surprise: the 6and place is occupied by Belgium ahead of Sweden, but also ahead of Germany (8and) and France (11and). In the space of a year, Belgium has therefore grabbed 2 places…
That said, if we dissect the notes, we see that the Belgium can clearly do better on certain aspects. This is particularly the case for the recharge or the infrastructure is considered to be largely insufficient (6/13) with only 115 charging points per 1000 inhabitants. Same for the part of fast chargers which is 6.6%, which is quite simply one of the worst scores in Europe.
In fact, if Belgium figures prominently, it is above all because the car company boosts sales and that its taxation (but only for the company car) is favorable to the electric car. But of course, this reality collapses when we consider the particular public who have no tax incentive.
L’study of Leaseplan therefore remains fragmented and, at the very least, it restores a reality that only concerns the company car system. In the realitythe things seems a bit differentespecially for the general public who, so far, have had absolutely no help in this transition to the electric car.