uncertain future

The number of hydrogen-powered passenger cars in the Netherlands has increased by two this year

Hoewel er de laatste jaren in Nederland is geïnvesteerd in de uitbreiding van het aantal waterstoftankstations, laat de consument de waterstofauto links liggen. Foto: Shutterstock, 2026

The growth in the number of hydrogen-powered passenger cars in the Netherlands appears to have come to an end. So far this year, up to and including July 2026, no more than two so-called FCEVs – or Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles – have been registered in our country. In the whole of 2025, there was just one. Hydrogen-powered light and heavy commercial vehicles are not faring much better.

This is evident from figures from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, commissioned by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. Consumers who want to drive in an environmentally friendly and cost-effective way appear to be opting en masse for fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. By the end of June, the number of fully electric passenger cars in the Netherlands had risen to 745,389; an increase of over 22.5 per cent compared with June 2025 (608,382 vehicles). The number of plug-in hybrids in the Netherlands rose during the same period from 446,778 at the end of June 2025 to 600,201 at the same time this year. This represents growth of over 34 per cent in the space of a year.

When these figures are set against those of the total vehicle fleet in the Netherlands, which stands at over 9.7 million vehicles, the number of EVs remains modest. For example, fully electric and plug-in hybrid passenger cars together currently have a market share of just over 13.8 per cent. This means that more than one in ten of all passenger cars on the road in our country are fully or partially electric.

A quiet demise

Although hydrogen-powered cars were predicted to have a bright future, the FCEV appears to be dying a quiet death in the Netherlands. According to the RVO, there are currently 753 hydrogen-powered cars on the road in our country. In the first half of 2026, a mere two were added. The number of hydrogen-powered light commercial vehicles stands at 34, heavy commercial vehicles at 52, and hydrogen-powered buses at 62. Not only is the number of hydrogen-powered vehicles in our country small, but there is also no longer any sign of substantial growth. Each year, no more than a handful of light commercial vehicles or heavy goods vehicles running on hydrogen are registered.

Suspension of payments for Resato

On 21 July this year, it was reported that the Dutch company Resato Hydrogen Technology (RHT), which designs and manufactures hydrogen refuelling stations, had applied for a moratorium on payments. According to the Assen-based company, the short-term financing required for the next phase of growth was not secured in time. Administrator Jeroen Sprangers of Rein Advocaten reports that the problems arose after financiers scaled back their investments. “It is a genuine scale-up experiencing growing pains,” said Sprangers. “The company is incredibly important in the world of hydrogen, but on the other hand it needs a huge amount of money to be able to grow.”

In early 2025, RHT received a further 25 million euros from the European Investment Bank to expand its production capacity, amongst other things, over the coming years. This was intended to help the company achieve its ambition of having a network of a thousand hydrogen refuelling stations by 2030.

An uncertain future

With the growth in the number of hydrogen cars in the Netherlands having virtually ground to a halt, the future of this power source for passenger cars has become uncertain. Experts point to the small number of hydrogen refuelling stations specifically for passenger cars and the limited lifespan of hydrogen tanks. Furthermore, the number of available car models remains low, and the number of hydrogen refuelling stations in the Netherlands is not expected to increase significantly in the coming years. However, the biggest stumbling block appears to be the sky-high prices for a kilo of hydrogen at the pump. A full tank currently costs at least 90 euros. At other hydrogen filling stations, the price for a full tank of hydrogen can rise to over 150 euros.

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This article was automatically translated from the original Dutch text into British English.

Author: Paul Blonk

Source: Mobility Energy

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