Electric motorcycles were once considered by many as the shining beacon of the future of mobility. This was a few years ago, and the surge in demand during the pandemic era fueled innovation. It drove manufacturers to develop more and more electric offerings. But the sad reality is that the landscape is changing.
Recent months have seen a dizzying number of EV startups go under. And as disappointing as it may seem, it appears that this is just the beginning.
Now, if we fix our gaze over to the Netherlands, the electric motorcycle landscape is changing. And it’s by no means a good story. For quite a while now, the Netherlands has been home to quite a few EV motorcycle startups. But this could all be about to change, as the Dutch government has decided to apply a massive tax on EV two-wheelers through its BPM, or “Belasting van Personenauto’s en Motorrijwielen,” also known as private vehicle tax.
Let’s dive a little bit deeper. An electric car that emits zero pollutants gets its BPM waived completely. However, a motorcycle—electric motorcycles are now part of this—gets a BPM of 19.4 percent minus 210 euros (around $216 USD).
