Green light for scooter scheme: important for affordable mobility in urban areas
Comments Off on Green light for scooter scheme: important for affordable mobility in urban areasThe Royal RAI Association welcomes the announced pilot for a subsidy program for electric mopeds and scooters. This new scheme offers low-income people a helping hand in the transition to zero emissions and ensures that they retain access to mobility. “This scheme is therefore essential for moped and light moped riders with a small wallet, especially where environmental zones are emerging,” says Martijn van Eikenhorst – Scooters section manager at the association and also chairman of Scooter Recycling Netherlands.
Pilot subsidy scheme for electrification
An amount of 3.5 million euros has been made available for the electrification of mopeds and mopeds for 2024 and the same amount for 2025. Municipalities can apply for money from this scheme to grant subsidies to minimum wage earners, with each municipality applying its own policy. Residents can then receive a subsidy for the purchase of an electric moped or moped. With this budget, it is estimated that more than 3,500 petrol scooters can be replaced with emission-free ones. The pilot scheme will open this summer, and the government will also start a promotional campaign for electric mopeds and scooters.
Combating mobility poverty and offering freedom of choice
This new subsidy scheme encourages municipalities to accelerate the electrification of scooters and mopeds. Municipalities often combine a scrappage scheme with subsidy offers for older scooters and mopeds, for example from before 2018, with the establishment of environmental zones. RAI Association attaches great importance to affordability and freedom of choice, especially for road users with limited financial capacity. They have often been riding their beloved moped or moped for years. Through this scheme they should be given the opportunity to purchase a new, comparable, but now electric vehicle. “Keep in mind that people want to choose a vehicle that suits them,” Van Eikenhorst emphasizes. “The moped and moped are then ideal for medium-long distances, commuting or a safe feeling in traffic late in the evening.”
It’s the consumer and the government’s turn
The manufacturers and importers of scooters and mopeds have taken the lead in electrification. The climate agreement expresses the ambition to only sell electric mopeds by 2025. Since then, and even before the government came up with concrete policy, electric mopeds and mopeds have taken off. By offering electric mobility early, the sector has already made significant progress. Of the mopeds registered in 2024, 50% are electric and the counter for electric mopeds reaches 32%. “The industry has taken its steps. It is now up to the consumer to choose electric. The government can now help with this with its policy.”
Role of industry in the sustainable future
RAI Association has actively contributed to setting up this pilot and welcomes its introduction by the cabinet. The association looks forward to further collaboration to accelerate the transition to emission-free mobility to realize a sustainable future, in which mobility not only remains accessible and affordable, but also contributes to a cleaner and healthier living environment. “RAI Association and Scooter Recycling Netherlands are discussion partners in various municipalities and cities regarding demolition schemes, environmental and zero-emission zones.” In response to the new subsidy scheme, Martijn van Eikenhorst, on behalf of the RAI Association, invites municipalities to get in touch about their sustainable ambitions.
Read the letter to Parliament about making mopeds and light mopeds more sustainable here.