Belgium Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in belgium, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Electric Vehicles
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The Belgium and European Union (EU) regulatory environment is propelling the transition to EVs.  
The sales of passenger vehicles with internal combustion engines (ICEs) will be phased out by 2035 and several large cities in Belgium including Brussels, Antwerp, and Ghent are applying increasingly stringent entry restrictions on ICE vehicles. The 2021 EU Clean Vehicles Directive also played an important role. The Directive requires Member States to purchase between 24–45 percent alternatively fueled buses between August in 2021 and December 2025. The European Commission has proposed that by 2030 only zero-emission city buses can be sold in the EU.

Trends

Belgium EV demand is increasing:

•    With a market share of 66 percent in 2024, hybrid and electric cars are the most popular new cars in Belgium. 
•    In 2019, they accounted for just 8 percent of sales. In 2024, out of a total of 456,278 cars sold, 300,647 are hybrid and electric cars. In 2024, there was a 37 percent increase in the sales of strictly electric cars.
•    70% of newly registered hybrid and electric cars in 2024 are cars registered by enterprises, and 30 percent by individuals.
•    The sales of vehicles with a combustion engine will likely continue to decline over the next few years, both in absolute numbers and as percent of total. Some residual demand may remain for certain niche uses (long range, cost constrained, no charging access), but probably face obstacles including tighter emissions regulation, taxation, and policy incentives. By 2029 analysts expect most growth in the EV/plug‑in/hybrid segments. 
•    The business case for electrification on the commercial vehicle side is far less obvious. While infrastructure for passenger vehicles is widely spread, infrastructure for heavy commercial vehicles is in its infancy stage. Frontrunners, however, are starting to emerge. 
•    While in the next decade the cost for operating combustion engines will likely increase and the capital investment for heavy-duty electric vehicles is likely to decrease, we believe there is potential growth in this segment. 

Opportunities  

Belgium’s electric vehicle (EV) sector offers significant opportunities for U.S. companies looking to expand or enter the Belgian market. The country’s EV sector is poised for substantial growth in the coming years, driven by favorable government policies, declining battery costs, and increasing consumer awareness. Opportunities exist in EV charging infrastructure; battery production, innovation, retrofitting, and recycling; and components/inputs for advanced vehicles and/or other areas related to technology transition. 

U.S. companies willing and able to invest in research and development of EV technologies, expanded product portfolios, and strategic partnerships will Belgian EV players can position themselves to capitalize on the Belgian EV market opportunities – particularly vis-à-vis battery technology advancements, fleet electrification, fast-charging infrastructure, smart charging solutions, and charging stations at public spaces, workplaces, and residential areas. Partnerships with automakers and governments can accelerate the deployment of charging infrastructure. U.S. companies specializing in components/inputs for advanced vehicles and/or other areas related to technology transition – including advanced powertrains, increased autonomy, software integration, advanced electronics, sensors, controls, etc. – may also find excellent prospects in Belgium.  

Leading Sub-sectors

Belgium is investing in its EV charging infrastructure 

 The number of public charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs) in Belgium increased to over 22,000 (2025). However, these are unevenly distributed. Of this total, 17,335 are in Flanders. A total of 1,886 of the charging points in Belgium are fast-charging stations. According to the industry association EV Belgium, there will be nearly 2 million electric EVs in Belgium by 2030, and the country will require 20,000 to 30,000 new charging points every year. The Brussels-Capitol regional government now says it is aiming to hit 11,000 points by 2035; however, meeting that demand will be contingent on solving some structural issues including modernizing the city’s power network to accommodate faster charging. Among the regions, Flanders has set the most ambitious target: 100,000 charging points by 2030. At the federal level, Belgium’s government recognizes the need to increase the number of charging points, both at home and at work, to support the electrification of the fleet. 
Battery production, innovation, retrofitting, and recycling. 
There is significant opportunity in Belgium for battery manufacturers to expand their operations and invest in research to develop more efficient, longer-lasting batteries. In addition, developing sustainable and cost-effective battery recycling methods can also provide a competitive advantage. 

Given the shortage of resources for batteries and the load restrictions there may also be opportunities for refitting heavy duty commercial vehicles and maritime engines to use green hydrogen and recycling and recuperation of used heavy duty batteries. 

Key players include:
•    Umicore Rechargeable Battery Materials manufactures active cathode materials to enable the transition to electromobility. In 2023, Umicore and U.S. start-up Blue Current, a leading manufacturer of silicon elastic composite solid-state batteries, agreed to strengthen their joint venture collaboration on the development of solid-state battery technology. 
•    Avesta Battery and Energy Engineering (ABEE) announced it will build a EUR1.4 billion electric car battery cell factories in Galaţi, Romania to supply batteries mainly for the automotive industry – Renault-Dacia and Ford – and for the stationary storage market. ABEE intends to complete the project’s first phase in 2026. In addition, ABEE plans to invest EUR200 million by the end of the decade in a recycling facility for electric equipment and batteries. ABEE has also signed an agreement to invest in the production of battery management systems in North Macedonia.  
•    Volvo’s new battery assembly operation in Ghent opened in May 2022 to supply batteries for the automaker’s full-electric heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs).

Doing Business in Belgium’s EV Sector 

The EV sector in Belgium is shaped by the policies of its national and regional governments, as well as the European Union. The regions of Flanders, Brussels, and Wallonia hold the bulk of competences and responsibility regarding EVs and the infrastructure of charging points. The competences of the regions are town and country planning, the protection of the environment, the distribution and local transport of electricity, the rational use of energy, roads and their appurtenances, communal urban and regional transport, including special forms of transport (taxi services and car rental). The relevant competences of the federal state concern product standards, access to the transmission grid, and security of supply. The federal government is also the authority for granting tax reductions via personal taxes and benefits in kind (such as company cars). Although U.S. exporters are not required to appoint a local agent or distributor to sell to Belgian companies, it is strongly recommended that companies consider partnering with a local company for the purposes of monitoring business opportunities, navigating import and standard testing regulations, and identifying public sector sales and contract opportunities. 

Resources

Government:
•    Ministry of Mobility:  Belgian federal ministry that is the equivalent of the U.S. Department of Transportation. 
•    Ministry of Finance:  Belgian federal ministry.  The current Finance Minsters seeks to make the country’s mobility sector greener and has instituted tax reforms to bring about the “greening” of company car fleets.
•    BRUGEL: Brussels energy regulator.
•    Flanders Department of Mobility and Public Works: Regional government entity responsible for road, air, and water transport and infrastructure. 
•    Walloon Minister of Climate, Energy, Infrastructure and Mobility
•    Minister of the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region: responsible for Mobility, Public Works, & Road Safety 
•    Flanders Agency for Roads and Traffic: A regional mobility and public works government entity that manages about 7,000 kilometers of regional roads and motorways in Flanders. 
•    Fluvius: Brussels city grid operator.

Industry Associations:
•    Fédération de l’automobile et du cycle Belgian (Federation of the Automobile and Cycle Industry - FEBIAC)  Belgium’s automotive industry federation. 
•    European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA)
•    EV Belgium:  the representative federation involved in the development of the market for zero emission mobility in Belgium.
•    American Automotive Policy Council:  a trade group formed in 2009 by Chrysler, Ford Motor Company, and General Motors. 
•    Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA):  U.S. industry association.

Companies:
•    Avesta Battery and Energy Engineering (ABEE):  Belgian-based EV battery company. 
•    Engie:  French energy company which will install and operate 2,800 public charging stations for electric vehicles in the Flemish provinces of Antwerp, Limburg, and West Flanders. 
•    Galloo Recycling Group:  Belgian-based metal recycling company which accepts most types of scrap metal such as automobiles, cans, and other containers throughout Belgium and Northern France.
•    SPIE Belgium:  The Belgian subsidiary of the SPIE group, an independent European leader in multi-technical services in the areas of energy and communications that is participating in a sustainable pilot project for Engie. 
•    Umicore Rechargeable Battery Materials:  Belgian-based manufacturer of active cathode materials.
•    Volvo (Ghent): manufacturer of EVs and EV batteries. 
•    Wideye:  Belgian-based provider of glass solutions for 360° sensor integration for safe autonomous drive.

Trade Shows:
•    AAPEX 2025 Las Vegas, Nevada: November 4–6, 2025
•    SEMA Show 2025: in Las Vegas November 4–7, 2025
•    CES 2026: in Las Vegas January 6–9, 2026
•    Automechanika Frankfurt 2025: in Frankfurt September 8–12, 2026

For more information or assistance please contact the U.S. Commercial Service office close to you to discuss your international projects for Belgium. 
 

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