Number of 'green cars' in Belgium tripled in three years

In three years, the number of 'green', or environmentally friendly cars has more than tripled in Belgium, according to figures from the FPS Mobility, writes Het Laatste Nieuws. Despite the positive trend, the total fleet of green vehicles still accounts for just 0.2% of all cars in Belgium.

On 1 January, 2016, there were 13,901 registered vehicles in Belgium powered by electricity, natural gas or hydrogen. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of these are registered in Flanders, compared to only 15.1% in Wallonia and 11.9% in Brussels.

In 80% of the cases, the vehicles are electric cars or plug-in hybrids. Three-quarters of Belgium's green vehicles (73%) are leased, while only a quarter are owned by individuals.