The Netherlands has over 200,000 public charge points (RVO 2026), the densest network in Europe. Top networks: Vattenfall InCharge, Allego, Shell Recharge, Fastned. AFIR contactless card payment mandatory. Cost: EUR 0.49-0.79/kWh. Best apps: ANWB Energie, Shell Recharge, Plugsurfing.
On this page
- The Dutch EV market in 2026
- The unique on-street kerbside network
- Major networks
- Payment methods
- Cost: EV vs ICE in the Netherlands
- Roaming apps explained
- Three popular EV roadtrips through the Netherlands
- Special cases: hotels, parks, P+R
- Winter charging in the Netherlands
- Charging speeds by car
- Practical tips for visiting EV drivers
- Related topics for your Netherlands road trip
- EV charging in other European countries
The Dutch EV market in 2026
The Netherlands is one of the most EV-mature markets in Europe. Battery-electric cars now make up about 32% of new sales (2025 figure), driven by company-car tax breaks (bijtelling 16% for BEVs vs 22% for ICE), no on-street parking permit limits and the densest public network on the continent.
About 490,000 BEVs and 270,000 PHEVs are on the road. The government’s Nationale Agenda Laadinfrastructuur (NAL) targets 1.7 million public charge points by 2030. Right now there are about 200,000 publicly accessible points, broken down as:
- 195,000 AC chargers (Type 2, 3-22 kW), most on-street kerbside
- 3,400 DC fast chargers (50-150 kW)
- 1,000 ultra-rapid HPC (150-350 kW)
- 12 hydrogen filling stations (separate network)
The unique on-street kerbside network
What makes the Netherlands different is the on-street kerbside AC infrastructure. Walk down almost any residential street in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, The Hague, Eindhoven, Groningen or Maastricht and you find a slim Type 2 charger every 50-100 metres. The system was driven by municipal “right to charge” policies introduced from 2017 onward.
For a visitor, this means you can arrive in any Dutch city without a charging hotel, park on the street and charge overnight at AC 3.7-11 kW for EUR 0.39-0.49/kWh. The Vattenfall, Allego and EVnetNL on-street points all accept the same major roaming RFID cards.
How kerbside works
- Plug in your own Type 2 cable (not supplied at the post)
- Tap your RFID card on the reader, or scan the QR code with your app
- Authentication starts the session, typically within 5 seconds
- Charge proceeds at 3.7, 7.4 or 11 kW depending on the post and your car
- Tap card again to stop, unplug, drive on
Parking enforcement is integrated: in most cities, the EV bay is reserved for an actively charging EV. Park empty or with a non-charging ICE → fine of EUR 95 + tow.
Major networks
| Network | Sites | Connector mix | Typical tariff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vattenfall InCharge | 65,000+ | AC kerbside + some DC | EUR 0.45 AC, EUR 0.59 DC |
| Allego | 60,000+ | AC + DC + HPC | EUR 0.49 AC, EUR 0.69 HPC |
| EVnetNL (Eneco) | 33,000+ | AC kerbside | EUR 0.45 AC |
| Shell Recharge / NewMotion | 22,000+ | AC + DC + HPC | EUR 0.49 AC, EUR 0.69 HPC |
| Fastned | 250+ | Ultra-rapid CCS only | EUR 0.69 (free tier), EUR 0.49 (Gold) |
| Tesla Supercharger | 75+ | CCS (open to non-Tesla) | EUR 0.59 (non-Tesla) |
| Ionity | 30+ | Ultra-rapid CCS | EUR 0.69 (no sub) |
| Greenflux | 15,000+ | AC + DC roaming | EUR 0.49 (varies by site) |
Vattenfall + Allego + EVnetNL together cover virtually every Dutch street. Fastned dominates the autostrade hubs.
Payment methods
Four routes, all valid:
- Contactless credit/debit card at the terminal. Mandatory by EU AFIR since April 2024 on every new charger above 50 kW. Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, Apple Pay, Google Pay all work.
- Operator app: Vattenfall InCharge, Shell Recharge, Fastned, Allego apps. Live availability + payment + history.
- Roaming RFID card: EnBW mobility+, ANWB Energie, Plugsurfing, Chargemap Pass, Octopus Electroverse. One card across operators at the issuer’s pricing.
- Ad-hoc QR code: scan, pay via webform. About EUR 0.05-0.10/kWh more than app pricing.
For a 1-2 week visit, the simplest combo is your home roaming card (e.g. EnBW mobility+ for German visitors, Octopus Electroverse for UK visitors) plus contactless credit card as backup.
Cost: EV vs ICE in the Netherlands
Comparison for a typical 500 km trip in a Hyundai IONIQ 5 (78 kWh battery, real-world 18 kWh/100km) vs a comparable petrol crossover (real-world 7.5 l/100km E10 at EUR 2.07/litre):
| Charging strategy | Energy needed | Cost | Per km |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home overnight (off-peak EUR 0.20) | 90 kWh | EUR 18.00 | EUR 0.036 |
| AC kerbside (EUR 0.45) | 90 kWh | EUR 40.50 | EUR 0.081 |
| DC fast 80% of charge (EUR 0.60) | 72 kWh | EUR 43.20 | EUR 0.086 |
| HPC Fastned (EUR 0.69) | 90 kWh | EUR 62.10 | EUR 0.124 |
| Petrol E10 (EUR 2.07/l) | 37.5 l | EUR 77.63 | EUR 0.155 |
So even using ultra-rapid charging exclusively, the BEV is 20-25% cheaper per km than a comparable petrol car. With home or AC kerbside the gap is 2-4x in favour of the EV.
Roaming apps explained
EnBW mobility+
The most flexible card for German and Dutch visitors. EUR 5.99/month gets you AC EUR 0.45 + DC EUR 0.49 + HPC EUR 0.59 across the whole EU including 95% of Dutch operators. Works at Vattenfall, Allego, Shell Recharge, EVnetNL, Fastned, Tesla and Ionity. RFID card or in-app authentication.
ANWB Energie / ANWB Mobility card
Dutch consumer association ANWB issues a roaming card with broad EU coverage. EUR 5/month + per-kWh costs slightly above EnBW. Best for visitors who already hold ANWB membership.
Shell Recharge (formerly NewMotion)
Owned by Shell since 2017. Massive roaming network: 750,000+ charge points across Europe. Works at virtually every Dutch operator. Per-kWh tariff varies by underlying operator (you see the price before plugging in).
Octopus Electroverse
UK-based supplier’s roaming offering. Free to use, no fee. Their app shows the prices for each station in advance. Good for UK visitors.
Plugsurfing
Munich-based, owned by Fortum. EUR 0 setup, per-kWh varies by operator. Works at all major Dutch networks.
Fastned membership
For visitors planning many HPC stops, Fastned Gold (EUR 11.99/month) drops the per-kWh from EUR 0.69 to EUR 0.49 at all 250+ Fastned sites in NL. Pays off after about 200 kWh of HPC charging.
Three popular EV roadtrips through the Netherlands
Amsterdam to Maastricht (220 km)
A2 corridor, ~3 hours direct. Charging stops:
- A2 Goes-Maartensdijk: optional 15-min top-up at Fastned (EUR 12-18 for 100 km)
- A2 Boxtel-Vught: 20-min Fastned 175 kW (EUR 18-25 for 150 km)
- Maastricht arrival: free or cheap kerbside AC overnight
Typical total cost: EUR 30-45 for the round trip.
Rotterdam to German border (Venlo) (170 km)
A15 + A73, ~2 hours. One HPC stop at A15 Tiel (Fastned 250 kW) is sufficient for any modern EV. Cost: EUR 25-35.
Amsterdam to Hoek van Holland for the UK ferry (90 km)
A4 + A20. No charging stop needed in most EVs. Stena Line ferry terminal has Vattenfall AC kerbside chargers for pre-boarding top-up.
Special cases: hotels, parks, P+R
- Hotels: Mercure, Hilton, Marriott, Park Plaza chains universally have AC chargers for guests. Premier Inn and IBIS budget brands often charge EUR 0.45-0.55/kWh. Filter via Booking.com “EV charger”.
- Holiday parks: Center Parcs, Roompot, Landal, EuroParcs all have AC chargers, usually free or low-cost for park-card holders.
- P+R: Park-and-Ride lots in Amsterdam (P+R Olympisch Stadion, P+R RAI), Rotterdam (P+R Slinge, P+R Kralingse Zoom), The Hague, Utrecht, Eindhoven include reserved EV bays with AC. Usually EUR 1-3/day or free with public-transport ticket.
- Workplaces: many Dutch employer fleets cover guest charging. Ask at reception.
Winter charging in the Netherlands
Dutch winters are mild (rare below -5°C in the lowlands). DC speeds are usually 90-100% of summer rated even in January. Exception: the Veluwe region and the southeast (Limburg) can see -10°C nights. In those cases:
- Pre-condition the battery via the navigation route planner before arrival
- Allow 5-10 minutes longer at the HPC for the same SoC gain
- Park EVs over Christmas at a Type 2 destination charger so the battery stays warm overnight
Charging speeds by car
Approximate peak DC fast charging speeds at a 350 kW HPC station for typical 2024-2026 models:
| Car | Peak kW | 10-80% time |
|---|---|---|
| Porsche Taycan | 270 | 18 min |
| Hyundai IONIQ 5/6, Kia EV6 | 235 | 18 min |
| Mercedes EQS | 200 | 22 min |
| BMW iX | 195 | 22 min |
| Tesla Model 3 LR | 250 | 20 min |
| Tesla Model Y | 170 | 28 min |
| VW ID.4/ID.5, Audi Q4 e-tron | 170 | 28 min |
| Renault Megane E-Tech | 130 | 32 min |
| Mini Cooper SE | 70 | 35 min |
Many older EVs (2018-2019) are capped at 50 kW even at HPC sites. Check your car’s owner manual.
Practical tips for visiting EV drivers
- Install EnBW mobility+ or ANWB Energie roaming before crossing the border.
- Use A Better Route Planner (ABRP) or Google Maps EV routing for any trip over 200 km.
- Bring your own Type 2 cable for kerbside charging.
- Contactless credit card is your fallback at every newer station (mandatory by EU law since April 2024).
- Park-and-charge: respect the rule that bays are for charging cars only; police actively enforce.
- Tesla Superchargers are open to all CCS2 cars in NL since 2022.
- Off-peak home electricity tariff (23:00-07:00) is EUR 0.18-0.25/kWh; if staying with friends, charge overnight.
Related topics for your Netherlands road trip
- Netherlands fuel prices: hybrid comparison
- Netherlands toll roads: no general toll
EV charging in other European countries
- Germany EV charging: full autobahn coverage, EnBW
- France EV charging: Ionity, Tesla SC, motorway corridor
- Belgium EV charging: smaller market but growing
- Austria EV charging: Smatrics, IONITY, Alpine routes
- See all 21 countries