October 8, 2025

The rise of electric
vans and trucks:

Early evidence from Dutch
zero-emission zones for freight

Freight keeps our cities moving, but it comes at a cost: emissions, noise, and congestion.

In 2025, the Netherlands took a bold step to address this by introducing 18 zero-emission zones for freight (ZEZ-Fs), with plans to expand to 29 municipalities by 2030.

Early data shows these zones are already driving a rapid shift to electric vans and trucks, offering a blueprint for cleaner, quieter, and healthier urban freight across Europe.

key findings

The Netherlands is leading Europe
in electrifying freight

In the first half of 2025, 78.4% of newly registered vans in the Netherlands were battery-electric - far above the EU average of 8.5%.

Electric truck registrations rose by 187.6% year-on-year, representing a quarter of all new electric trucks sold in the EU, compared with EU-wide growth of 46.1%.

Neighbouring municipalities
also benefit

Even cities neighboring ZEZ-Fs see faster uptake of electric vans, reaching an average of 2.9%. This “spill-over” effect suggests that clear policy can influence broader regional adoption.

ZEZ-F municipalities are accelerating change

Cities that have committed to zero-emission zones for freight (ZEZ-F) by 2030 already show faster adoption of electric vans.

By January 2025, these municipalities averaged 6.1% electric vans, compared to 1.7% in municipalities without ZEZ-F plans. Early trucks data shows a similar trend.

Businesses are responding
to ZEZ-Fs

Company strategies confirm the zones’ impact. Operators cite ZEZ-Fs as a key driver for switching to emissions-free fleets, supported by timelines and proactive engagement that allow businesses to plan their investments.

Source: Regionale Klimaatmonitor, CBS. Note: For 2024 and 2025, the municipal total fleets were estimated using 2023-2025 provincial growth rates. Shares in June 2025 are calculated using the January 2025 total fleet due to lack of available data.

Policy Recommendations

Where are the zones?

Cities in the Netherlands have the authority to introduce zero-emission zones for freight (ZEZ-Fs) through a traffic decree, which must be adopted at least four years before the zone takes effect.

On the map below you can see all of the existing and planned zero-emission zones for freight in the Netherlands.

Download the full briefing

Get the complete Clean Cities analysis of ZEZ-F impact in the Netherlands 👇

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