Although 37% of Dutch consumers are interested in driving an electric car, only 4% plan to buy one within the next two years, according to new research by motoring organisation ANWB.

‘There has been no increase in interest in driving an electric car,’ ANWB director Frits van Bruggen told the Telegraaf. ‘People think electric cars are good for the environment but are still put off by the price. Most people don’t have the money to buy one.’

In addition, electric cars cost more to use. The ANWB calculates an electric car costs 6% more per kilometre than one powered by petrol.

The increase in distances that electric cars can drive has gone up, but electric cars costing less than €50,000 still have a maximum radius of some 270 kilometres ‘and that is not enough’, Van Bruggen said.

The government is considering subsidising the cost of buying an electric car by up to €6,000 by 2021 as part of its plans to phase out petrol cars altogether.