How much road tax do electric cars pay?

6 October 2026 · Calcosmo editorial team

Electric cars in the Netherlands have paid road tax again since 2025. In 2026 you pay 70% of the regular rate for a petrol car of the same weight. The exact amount depends on the weight and your province. Work it out with the Dutch road tax calculator.

The short answer

For an average electric car with a kerb weight (massa rijklaar) of 1,800 kg, you pay about €214 to €234 per quarter in 2026, depending on your province. That is roughly €71 to €78 a month. A lighter EV of 1,600 kg costs €177 to €193 per quarter; a heavy SUV of 2,100 kg €271 to €296.

Examples per province

Amounts per quarter, 2026 rates, fully electric:

Noord-Holland and Overijssel have the lowest provincial surcharges, Zuid-Holland the highest. Calculate your own amount with the calculator; the source and date of the rates are shown below the result.

How is the amount calculated?

Dutch road tax consists of two parts: a national part and the provincial surcharge (opcenten). Both depend on the car’s weight. Electric and hydrogen cars get a 30% discount on both parts in 2026, so you pay 70%.

Important: the weight that counts is the massa rijklaar shown on the registration certificate or in the RDW vehicle register. Because of the battery, electric cars are often 300 to 500 kg heavier than a comparable petrol car, so the discount is smaller in practice than you might expect.

What changes after 2026?

Under current law, the discount for zero-emission cars is being phased out and electric cars will pay the full rate from 2030. Rates and surcharges are also indexed for inflation every year, and provinces can raise their surcharges. We update the rates in the calculator every year.

And in the UK?

In the UK, electric cars have also paid Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) since April 2025, after years of exemption. The UK system works differently from the Dutch one: it is based on CO₂ emissions, list price and the age of the car, not on weight and region. The calculator on this site uses the Dutch rules only; check gov.uk for the current UK rates.

Compared with petrol and diesel

For comparison: a 1,400 kg petrol car costs €199 per quarter in Noord-Holland and a diesel of the same weight €418. A heavy EV is more expensive than a light petrol car, but cheaper than a diesel. Read more comparisons in Dutch road tax for petrol, diesel and LPG.