Belgian car fleet grows by 100,000 hybrid and almost 18,000 electric cars
On 1 August 2021, Belgium had 5,927,912 passenger cars compared to 5,888,589 a year earlier. This is an increase of 0.7% after the small but remarkable decrease of 0.01% in corona year 2020. The number of passenger cars increased by an average of 0.92% over the past ten years. This is what emerged from new figures of Statbel, the Belgian statistical office.
Hybrid passenger cars currently account for 4.4 % of the total passenger car fleet and have far exceeded the 250,000 cars mark: 258,916 hybrid cars compared to only 154,807 in 2020 (+67%). The number of fully electric passenger cars also increased by 70% (40,851) and cars running on gas by 7% (15,999). The number of petrol cars continues to increase (+4%), while diesel cars continue to decrease (-6.8%).
Since 2015, the number of passenger cars running on diesel has fallen slightly faster each year. In 2021, there are 6.8% fewer diesel cars than in the previous year. So on 1 August, there were 2,623,556 diesel cars. At the same time, the number of petrol cars continues to rise (+3.4% in 2021) to 2,951,770 vehicles. Petrol cars now represent 49.8% of the passenger car fleet, diesel cars 44.3%.
Besides passenger cars, Belgium has 16,628 buses and coaches, 946,427 vehicles for the transport of goods, 53,899 tractors, 200,332 agricultural tractors and 80,876 special motor vehicles. The total vehicle fleet thus consists of 7,226,074 vehicles. There are also 525,348 motorcycles registered in Belgium.
Size of the vehicle fleet (2017-2021)
| On 1st August of the year | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger vehicles | 5,785,447 | 5,853,782 | 5,889,210 | 5,888,589 | 5,927,912 | ||||||
| - petrol | 2,335,349 | 2,518,942 | 2,709,604 | 2,843,903 | 2,951,770 | ||||||
| - diesel | 3,339,034 | 3,193,658 | 3,005,928 | 2,815,755 | 2,623,556 | ||||||
| - gas | 15,965 | 15,500 | 14,924 | 14,957 | 15,999 | ||||||
| - with an electric motor | 6,552 | 9,244 | 15,338 | 23,983 | 40,851 | ||||||
| - hybrid | 63,740 | 87,012 | 110,984 | 154,807 | 258,916 | ||||||
| - not specified | 24,807 | 29,426 | 32,432 | 35,184 | 36,820 | ||||||
| Inhabitants per passenger car on 1st August (d) | 1.96 | 1.94 | 1.94 | 1.95 | 1.94 | ||||||
| N/A: Not (yet) available. (d) Population figure on 1st January of the year |
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Size of the vehicle fleet (2017-2021)
| On 1st August of the year | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total vehicle fleet (including motorcycles) | 7,419,405 | 7,533,172 | 7,614,082 | 7,651,138 | 7,751,422 | ||||||
| Passenger vehicles | 5,785,447 | 5,853,782 | 5,889,210 | 5,888,589 | 5,927,912 | ||||||
| Buses and coaches | 16,062 | 16,125 | 16,542 | 16,422 | 16,628 | ||||||
| Lorries, delivery vans, cross-country vehicles and tank vehicles | 826,742 | 856,096 | 885,487 | 910,356 | 946,427 | ||||||
| Tractors (a) | 47,478 | 50,230 | 52,694 | 52,802 | 53,899 | ||||||
| Agricultural tractors | 189,938 | 192,187 | 194,399 | 196,504 | 200,332 | ||||||
| Specialized vehicles (b) | 71,754 | 74,257 | 76,640 | 78,469 | 80,876 | ||||||
| Motorcycles (c) | 481,984 | 490,495 | 499,110 | 507,996 | 525,348 | ||||||
| N/A: Not (yet) available. (a) Tractors are commercial motor vehicles coupled to a semi-trailer (vehicle without front axle). (b) Specialized vehicles are slow vehicles whose dimensions and weight exceed the established maximum limits. The maximum authorized weight in Belgium is 44 tonnes. Vehicles of this category may therefore only be used on public roads under strict conditions. (c) All motorcycles driving 40km/h or faster. That is all motorcycles and most mopeds. | |||||||||||
Purpose and brief description
The vehicle fleet gives an overview of all motorised vehicles registered in Belgium on 1st August
Population
Motor vehicle / Vehicle fleet
Data collection method and sample size
Administrative data
Frequency
Annually
Timing of publication
Results available 1 month after the reference period.
Definitions
Vehicle types: passenger cars, buses and coaches, lorries, tractors, agricultural tractors, specialized vehicles, motorcycles
Fuel type: petrol, diesel, gas, electricity.
Tractors are commercial motor vehicles coupled to a semi-trailer (vehicle without front axle).
Specialized vehicles are slow vehicles whose dimensions and weight exceed the established maximum limits. The maximum authorized weight in Belgium is 44 tonnes. Vehicles of this category may therefore only be used on public roads under strict conditions.
All motorcycles driving 40km/h or faster. That is all motorcycles and most mopeds.