Environmental zones and zero-emission zones in the Netherlands

More and more Dutch cities are introducing environmental zones and zero-emission zones to improve air quality and increase the quality of life in cities. However, there is a lot of uncertainty about the precise access rules, transitional arrangements, exemptions and waivers that apply to these zones. That is why we explain in this blog what environmental zones and zero-emission zones are, where you can encounter these zones in the Netherlands, which rules apply and which transitional arrangements and exceptions exist. We also discuss how Eurocars can help entrepreneurs by switching to an emission-free company car without penalty.

What are environmental zones and zero-emission zones?

An environmental zone is an area in a city where certain polluting and harmful vehicles do not have access. The aim is to make the air in the city cleaner and to make the city more liveable. A zero-emission zone is actually a stricter form of an environmental zone. In a zero-emission zone, only clean vehicles are allowed, i.e. vehicles that do not emit harmful substances. This includes, for example, electric vehicles or hydrogen vehicles. 

How do you know if you are allowed to enter an environmental zone?

Whether you have access to a certain environmental zone depends on the emission class of your vehicle. The emission class is expressed in a number from 0 to 6, where 0 is the least clean and 6 is the cleanest. When you enter an environmental zone, there are traffic signs along the side of the road that indicate the minimum emission class your vehicle must meet. 

Are you curious about the emission class of your vehicle and which environmental zones you have access to? Then do the license plate check via milieuzones.nl. NB: This license plate check only shows which environmental zones you have access to, not which zero-emission zones you have access to. Curious which zero-emission zones you can still enter with your vehicle? Then look at opwegnaarzes.nl. 

In which cities do environmental zones and zero-emission zones apply and what are the rules?

Not every environmental zone is the same. For example, it can differ from which emission class vehicles have access to an environmental zone or which vehicles are excluded from an environmental zone. Below we discuss specifically the environmental zones for passenger cars and commercial vehicles and the zero-emission zones in the Netherlands. 

Environmental zones for passenger cars and/or vans in the Netherlands

Passenger cars and commercial vehicles running on LPG, petrol and electricity do not have to worry about anything for the time being: they are allowed to enter all environmental zones in the Netherlands. The environmental zones that are currently in place for passenger cars and commercial vehicles in the Netherlands are only aimed at banning diesel vehicles. These can be found in Amsterdam, The Hague, Utrecht and Arnhem and can be divided into two categories: green and blue environmental zones. In a green environmental zone, only diesel vehicles with an emission class of 4 or higher are allowed; in a blue environmental zone, only diesel vehicles with an emission class of 5 or higher are allowed. 

Municipalities with zero-emission zones in the Netherlands

The zero-emission zones introduced in the Netherlands are currently only aimed at keeping out polluting vans and trucks. These zones have been introduced in 16 municipalities: Amersfoort, Amsterdam, Assen, Delft, The Hague, Eindhoven, Gouda, Groningen, 's Hertogenbosch, Leiden, Maastricht, Nijmegen, Rotterdam, Tilburg, Utrecht and Zwolle. Ultimately, only zero-emission commercial vehicles and trucks will be allowed into these zones, which means that only vans and trucks that run on electricity or hydrogen will be allowed in. However, a transitional arrangement currently applies to commercial vehicles with emission classes 5 and 6.

Transitional arrangements, exemptions and waivers

It is possible that your vehicle does not have access to an environmental zone or zero-emission zone because your vehicle does not meet the access regulations. In order to accommodate entrepreneurs and other parties, exceptions are sometimes made. These are so-called exemptions and waivers. It is important to know that an exemption is granted automatically, while an exemption must be applied for yourself. These exemptions and waivers are subject to conditions in order to qualify, which are discussed below.

Transitional arrangement for zero-emission zone for commercial vehicles

Ultimately, only commercial vehicles and trucks that run on electricity or hydrogen will be allowed into the zero-emission zones. To accommodate entrepreneurs and give them some more time to prepare for these changes, a transitional arrangement has been introduced. This transitional arrangement gives cleaner commercial vehicles and younger trucks longer access to the zero-emission zones. Are you not sure what type of vehicle you have, what the emission class of your vehicle is or what the date of first admission is? Then check this via the RDW. The transitional arrangement for commercial vehicles is highlighted below. Curious about the rules for trucks? Check them out at opwegnaarzes.nl.

• There will be a warning period for at least the first 6 months after the introduction of the zero-emission zone, during which no fines will be issued. 
• Commercial vehicles with a first admission date after 01-01-2025 will only have access to a zero-emission zone if they are emission-free. This means that only new vehicles that run on electricity or hydrogen are allowed. This does not apply to exempt vehicles, including classic cars (older than 40 years), wheelchair-accessible vehicles and vehicles that have been adapted for a disability for more than €500; these will have access until 01-01-2030.
• Commercial vehicles with an emission class lower than 4 are not allowed in the zero-emission zones. 
• Commercial vehicles with an emission class of 5 have access to the zero-emission zones until 01-01-2027.
• For commercial vehicles with an emission class of 6 and a first admission date before 01-01-2025, it has currently been agreed that they will have access to the zero-emission zones until 01-01-2028. However, the government has plans to extend access until 01-01-2029. 
• Box trucks with an emission class 6 and a first admission date between 01-01-2017 and 31-12-2019 have access to the zero-emission zones until 01-01-2028. Box trucks with an emission class 6 and a first admission date between 01-01-2020 and 31-12-2024 have access to the zero-emission zones until 01-01-2030. 

Exemptions and waivers from zero-emission zones

If your vehicle does not meet the entry requirements, you may in some cases qualify for an exemption or waiver. These are valid until 01-01-2030 at the latest, after which you may only enter the zero-emission zone if your vehicle is completely emission-free. In exceptional cases, municipalities may still grant exemptions after this date, for example for events or other exceptional situations. 

An exemption from a zero-emission zone applies to exempt vehicles: 

• Classic cars (older than 40 years)
• Wheelchair accessible vehicles
• Vehicles that have been adapted for more than €500 due to a disability

Exemptions can be requested for specific situations or in specific cases. Below is a selection of the existing exemptions:

• A day exemption, which allows you to enter a zero-emission zone from 00:00 to 06:00 the following day. You can apply for a maximum of 12 of these per vehicle, per municipality, per year. 
• An exemption if an emission-free vehicle has a long delivery time.
• An exemption if financial circumstances make it difficult to purchase a zero-emission vehicle.
• An exemption if there are no emission-free alternatives for your vehicle.

Switch from diesel to electric without penalty

It is important to prepare yourself well for these changes in the coming years and therefore take steps to purchase an emission-free vehicle. However, we understand that not every entrepreneur is ready to switch to electric or has the financial means to purchase an emission-free vehicle immediately. For this reason, at Eurocars you can switch from a diesel commercial vehicle to an electric commercial vehicle without penalty in the coming years with a current financial lease contract. You choose when you are ready to make the switch and at that time we will conclude a new lease agreement with you that has at least the same term as your current lease contract. This way you can immediately trade in your diesel commercial vehicle and adapt to the changing circumstances, without having to make a large investment immediately. Are you interested? Then take a look at our financial lease offer.

Conclusion

The introduction of environmental zones and zero-emission zones leads to increasingly cleaner cities with better air quality. However, it also leads to concerns among entrepreneurs because of the pressure they experience to meet the access requirements, while they have to in order to continue their work in the cities. Fortunately, there is a transitional arrangement for this reason until 01-01-2030, whereby exemptions and waivers are granted so that some vehicles that do not meet the access rules can still temporarily enter the zero-emission zones. By concluding a financial lease with Eurocars, you are assured of mobility and access to the environmental zones and zero-emission zones now and in the future. You can switch from a diesel commercial vehicle to an electric version without penalty, so you do not have to make a large investment immediately to remain mobile. Prepare now for the upcoming changes so that you are not faced with any surprises in the future!