Benelux, Climate, Economy, Mobility

Social leasing of electric cars gains ground in the Benelux

08 Jul. 2025

Sustainable mobility for all is drawing closer. The Benelux countries are making strides to make electric driving accessible to low-income households through social leasing. During a Benelux+ workshop, it became clear that this topic is high on the political agenda, with the support of the European Commission on the horizon.

What is social leasing?
Social leasing allows households with limited budgets to rent an electric car at an affordable monthly rate. The goal: to accelerate the transition to zero-emission mobility while reducing social inequality. France is a pioneer in this area with a system already in place. Luxembourg is currently conducting a feasibility study, while Belgium and the Netherlands are exploring options to introduce such a scheme.

Concrete European cooperation
The Benelux General Secretariat organized the workshop under the Luxembourg presidency of the Benelux Union, in collaboration with the Luxembourg Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity, and the Ministry of Mobility and Public Works. Policymakers, experts, and representatives from the automotive sector in the Benelux, France, and European organizations such as BEUC and the NGO Transport & Environment exchanged ideas and experiences.
A central theme: how to finance and scale up social leasing? The European Commission has already indicated that the Social Climate Fund, available from 2026, could play a key role.

Benelux as a laboratory
Deputy Secretary-General Michel-Etienne Tilemans emphasized the role of the Benelux: “As the Benelux Secretariat, our aim is to learn from each other, share best practices, remove cross-border obstacles, and serve as a laboratory for Europe.”

Outlook
With European support and growing interest within the Benelux, social leasing seems poised to play a key role in the transition to sustainable mobility—not only in the region, but potentially throughout Europe.