More and more Limburg entrepreneurs take steps in zero-emission transportation

More and more Limburg entrepreneurs are opting for sustainable alternatives in their logistics. While some are switching to an electric delivery van, Qarry or electric cargo bike, others are using bicycle couriers or bundled deliveries via a city hub. Your company too can make that step toward lower emissions, less traffic and a healthy, attractive and safe living environment!

© South Limburg Bereikbaar

Zero-emission zones

Since the beginning of this year, the first 18 municipalities in the Netherlands, including Maastricht and Eindhoven, have zero-emission zones (ZE zones). Some 10 other municipalities will follow later, including Venlo from Jan. 1, 2027. Entrepreneurs driving vans or trucks powered by gasoline, diesel, LPG or hybrid engines will no longer be allowed to simply enter these zones. New delivery vans and trucks registered from Jan. 1, 2025, must be fully zero-emission to gain access to the ZE zone. Existing vans and trucks with emission class 5 or 6 are subject to a transitional arrangement. Older vehicles (emission classes 0 to 4 for vans and 0 to 5 for trucks) have not been allowed since this year.

The zero-emission zone applies only to vans and trucks and therefore not to other vehicles, such as passenger cars, cabs, buses and coaches. More information and the license plate checker can be found at www.zesmaastricht.nl.

Subsidy for sustainable mobility

Nationally, there are diverse subsidy schemes to encourage sustainable mobility. For example, there is a subsidy for the purchase of charging infrastructure and a subsidy for companies that work together and therefore drive fewer kilometers with their trucks. For SMEs and self-employed workers based in Maastricht, the Municipality of Maastricht offers a subsidy scheme. Entrepreneurs can apply for financial support for:

• The business purchase or financial lease of an electric van or light electric vehicle (LEV);

• The construction of charging infrastructure;

• A subscription to a logistics hub or bicycle courier.

Let yourself be inspired by other entrepreneurs

More and more entrepreneurs are showing that sustainability pays off. For example, Vetraned and sister company Paraat exchanged two diesel buses for electric vans earlier this year. "Because of the zero-emission zones in Maastricht and elsewhere, we opted for electric a year earlier than actually planned," explains director Richard Dohmen. And Transpo Nuth has been deploying an electric truck with a truck-mounted crane and hook-lift system for the past year.

Entrepreneurs are also taking steps in Maastricht's city center. NoLabel Interieur & Ontwerp from Maastricht, for example, works with goods hubs, saving space and unnecessary trips into the city. Pharmacy Schoepp delivers efficiently with bicycle couriers. Read their stories at maastrichtbereikbaar.nl/stay-smart-business-the-zero-emission-zone-maastricht and discover how you too can benefit from the advantages of smart, sustainable mobility solutions.