Electric cars make up more than a third of newly registered cars
One-third of newly registered cars in Belgium last year were electrified, up from a quarter in the previous year. The surge was mainly driven by companies and the self-employed.
The share of electrified cars among new registrations has further increased in 2022. Whereas plug-in, hybrid or 'pure' electric cars accounted for a quarter of new cars in 2021, they made up more than a third of newly registered cars last year, figures released by the automotive federation Febiac on Thursday showed.
This trend is mainly the result of companies (for company cars) and the self-employed taking advantage of the Federal Government's tax reforms which makes emission-free company cars more fiscally attractive in order to ensure sustainable mobility eventually becomes cheaper than fossil-fuelled alternatives.
Among private individuals, petrol and diesel still have a high market share: together accounting for 79% compared to just 57% for companies and the self-employed. This group accounted for 87% of the registrations for electric cars. If individuals do buy an electrified car, they are more likely to opt for one with hybrid technology: 54.6% of registrations of this type were by an individual.
There were more than 200 electrified models on the market by the end of 2022 – a new record and largely a result of the CO2 reduction targets imposed by Europe.
Cars with a combustion engine (including plug-in hybrids) ordered from 2026 will no longer being tax deductible, with a gradual phase-out starting from 1 July 2023.
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