This subproject estimates both the short-term and intermediate-term market potential for a new city vehicle (electric car) in the Netherlands. The results of the library search carried out show that consumers are prepared to buy electric cars. However, the purchase price should be considerably lower than that of comparable petrol cars. It also appears that the present purchase costs and running costs of electric vehicles are considerably higher than those of comparable petrol cars. It would seem that for electric cars specific target groups will have to be addressed. These include the groups: (1) for whom the limited possibilities of electric cars are not an appreciable problem; and (2) for whom the authorities are prepared to reserve money for the electric car contribution to social problems. This can be effected either by subsidies or by additional taxation of the electric car competitors. The data analysis conducted is based on the exploration of the target groups. It appears that a quarter of the one-car owning households and a third of the multi-car owning households comprise a potential of over 1 million possible electric cars, 90,000 per year. These account for some 13% of the total number of annual car kilometres.
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