Driven by e-commerce, the Belgian van market continues to grow. The range of electric models is expanding, and the case for them is becoming increasingly compelling.
The light commercial vehicle market is booming. In 2025, with over 70,000 new registrations, sales rose by 7.5 per cent compared with 2024, according to Febiac. In total, Statbel reports, there are now over a million vans on our roads. For the representative of the car manufacturers, this success is largely due to the boom in e-commerce parcels. Indeed, it was in 2019, 2020 and 2021 that van sales reached record levels, the very years in which the Covid pandemic literally propelled online shopping.
Green commercial vehicles
For a long time, commercial vehicles remained on the sidelines of the trend towards fleet electrification. But things are gradually changing. Whilst in 2024, plug-in vans, whether 100% electric or hybrid, still accounted for just 4.1% of Belgian sales, this figure doubled in 2025, rising to 8.1%.
Is the recent, dramatic rise in fuel prices likely to accelerate this trend even further? Jean-Marc Ponteville, spokesperson for D’Ieteren Automotive, is closely monitoring market dynamics. In his view, it is still too early to predict the impact of the crisis in the Middle East. “Price rises at the pump provoke emotional reactions. They act as a wake-up call and prompt reflection. But they do not always lead to a purchasing decision,” he notes. Looking beyond the current economic climate, however, he highlights the various factors that have made the Belgian market, in the private-use company car segment, a European benchmark in this area.
Expanding market
Starting with a range of vehicles that meets a wide variety of needs. In recent years, the popularity of electric vehicles has been fuelled by the arrival of new models that are cheaper than their predecessors, and therefore easier to include in employee benefits packages. This trend is now gradually spreading to private motorists, particularly via the second-hand market. “In recent days, the number of views of electric models on our MyWay website has risen by 30 to 40 per cent,” says Jean-Marc Ponteville.
This surge in interest, which is likely to boost resale values, can only encourage companies to consider electric vehicles for their commercial fleets as well. “In particular the larger ones, which are better placed to calculate their Total Cost of Ownership that is, the cost encompassing the purchase price, running costs, maintenance and resale value.” For their part, SMEs are still struggling to realise the long-term financial benefits they can derive. Yet, even if the price of an electric model is higher, this is more than offset by lower running costs,” he insists.
Furthermore, manufacturers are expanding their range. “Our ID. Buzz, for example, is available in various versions, including, soon, a pick-up version,” adds the spokesperson, who nevertheless notes a certain degree of caution among manufacturers when it comes to developing new vehicles, given the general situation in Europe.
Charging infrastructure
The shift to electric vehicles also requires the roll-out of charging points, both public and private, that genuinely act as an incentive. Pointing out that, through D’Ieteren Energy, his group is also active in this field, Jean-Marc Ponteville emphasises that our country is building good momentum. For a local Brussels-based entrepreneur who does not need to cover hundreds of kilometres a day, range is thus increasingly becoming a non-issue. “Electric vehicles are also very well suited to Brussels traffic. Constant stop-and-go driving is the worst thing for the efficiency of a combustion engine,” notes the expert.
Smart tax policy
Today, unlike company cars, combustion-engine commercial vehicles remain fully tax-deductible. However, as Jean-Marc Ponteville observes, “it is a smart tax policy, based not on temporary incentives but on structural support that has been the primary driver behind the adoption of electric company cars”.
Therefore, if we want to see electric vans take off, they account for less than 2 per cent of the current fleet according to Febiac, such a scheme must be put in place. It will also need to be stable, unlike the back-and-forth we have seen regarding the Low Emission Zones in Brussels in recent months, the official points out.
Another challenge is that of weight. Currently, a Category B driving licence allows the holder to drive a vehicle weighing up to 3.5 tonnes. Given that a battery weighs several hundred kilos, an electric vehicle is mechanically heavier and therefore at a disadvantage in terms of payload capacity. This drawback is expected to be resolved soon. The European Union has decided to raise the maximum authorised mass for a Category B driving licence to 4.25 tonnes, and the legislation is expected to be transposed into Belgian law in the coming months. “The sooner the better,” insists the spokesperson for D’Ieteren Automotive, concluding his remarks.
And what about the distributors?
For major players in the distribution sector, the transition to "zero emissions" is hampered by regulatory inconsistencies. Serge Mapendo d’Ambalasa, Public Affairs Advisor at Colruyt Group, points to an urban paradox: "Today, electric vans are often excluded from streets with a 3.5-tonne weight limit because their batteries push their weight up to 4.25 tonnes." In practice, these clean vehicles are therefore banned from the areas they are supposed to serve more sustainably.
Is Brussels lagging behind?
The sector is now awaiting urgent harmonization. While Flanders has already launched a pilot project for "environmentally friendly exceptional transport" to preserve the loading capacity of electric trucks, Brussels is lagging behind. However, the situation seems to be moving forward. The Federal Minister of Mobility, Jean-Luc Crucke, has stated his intention to address the problem by consulting with the Regions soon, including Brussels through his counterpart, Elke Van den Brandt.
By Philippe Beco, Freelance Business Journalist
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