Mathilde Carlier
Research Expert covering transportation and logistics
Automotive industry in the Netherlands - statistics & facts
Boasting the eighth-largest car market in Europe, the Netherlands was progressing towards recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, global automotive semiconductor shortage, and high inflation rate of the previous years. Parts of the automotive industry are, however, recovering faster than others. Passenger car sales remained below pre-pandemic levels in 2023, while truck sales had surpassed that threshold. The number of car companies in the country has been consistently decreasing since 2019, a sign that the passenger car segment faces various challenges, despite its 2023 growth.
In the domestic market, Dutch brands also benefited from a strong popularity: DAF Trucks was the best-selling make for commercial vehicles above six metric tons, holding over 30 percent of the market. DAF also recorded success in Europe, holding around 15.6 percent of the heavy truck market in 2023.
In 2023, Volkswagen was the best-selling car brand in the Netherlands, with Kia not far behind in terms of sales volume. However, Tesla’s Model Y was the leading model in the country, at nearly 13,800 vehicles sold that year. The Netherlands has been slowly shifting to electric vehicles, which reached their highest market share in 2023. However, despite this progress in fleet electrification, petrol remained the preferred propulsion type most consumers would consider when buying a new car.
While the automotive industry in the Netherlands has been recovering from the external challenges it faced in the previous years, some segments are performing better than others. With a negative trade balance and a sales volume that did not surpass pre-pandemic levels, the passenger car sector has encountered hurdles to its growth. Electric cars have risen in popularity, but consumer preferences could influence this progression.
Dutch trucks in demand in the domestic and international market
The Dutch trade of motor vehicles illustrates one of the challenges the passenger car sector faced. While exports and imports of passenger cars and goods vehicles increased between 2022 and 2023, the Netherlands recorded a negative passenger car trade balance: The country imported around 14.1 billion euros worth of motor cars in 2023, compared to car exports of around 6.2 billion euros. In contrast, the Dutch commercial vehicle trade had a positive trade balance.In the domestic market, Dutch brands also benefited from a strong popularity: DAF Trucks was the best-selling make for commercial vehicles above six metric tons, holding over 30 percent of the market. DAF also recorded success in Europe, holding around 15.6 percent of the heavy truck market in 2023.
Consumer behavior impacts the passenger car market
Amidst rising car prices, buying intentions are fluctuating. As of June 2024, around 39 percent of Dutch online consumers were planning to purchase a car in the next 12 months. This share was at 42 percent in June 2022, and 44 percent as of mid-year 2023. Despite high levels of satisfaction with the brand of their main vehicles, 44 percent of consumers further reported being likely or very likely to change the make of their main car on the next possible occasion. These two factors create a highly competitive market for car brands looking to sell in the country.In 2023, Volkswagen was the best-selling car brand in the Netherlands, with Kia not far behind in terms of sales volume. However, Tesla’s Model Y was the leading model in the country, at nearly 13,800 vehicles sold that year. The Netherlands has been slowly shifting to electric vehicles, which reached their highest market share in 2023. However, despite this progress in fleet electrification, petrol remained the preferred propulsion type most consumers would consider when buying a new car.
While the automotive industry in the Netherlands has been recovering from the external challenges it faced in the previous years, some segments are performing better than others. With a negative trade balance and a sales volume that did not surpass pre-pandemic levels, the passenger car sector has encountered hurdles to its growth. Electric cars have risen in popularity, but consumer preferences could influence this progression.
