Incentives and Legislation
The incentives and legislations section is updated for 2025, published on 18th April 2025, representing the situation as of that date. Major changes of incentives and polices are updated on a rolling basis from that date onwards.
Incentives and legislation that aim to increase uptake of alternative fuels vehicles and infrastructure.
If you know of other national or local incentives that should be included in this section, please send us an email, or use the button on the right, and let us know. We review the proposed changes and implement the updates on a short notice.
The incentives and legislations section is updated for 2025, published on 18th April 2025, representing the situation as of that date. Major changes of incentives and polices are updated on a rolling basis from that date onwards.
Incentives and legislation that aim to increase uptake of alternative fuels vehicles and infrastructure.
If you know of other national or local incentives that should be included in this section, please send us an email, or use the button on the right, and let us know. We review the proposed changes and implement the updates on a short notice.
- Purchase subsidies
No direct national purchase subsidies are available in Denmark as of 2025.
- Registration tax benefits
Denmark applies a high vehicle registration tax, but BEVs benefit from significant reductions. The taxable value is calculated progressively:
- Up to DKK 72,900: 25%
- From DKK 72,900 to DKK 226,500: 85%
- Above DKK 226,500: 150%
From 2021 to 2025, BEVs are subject to only 40% of the calculated registration tax. This rate will gradually increase by 8 percentage points per year between 2026–2030, reaching 80% by 2030, and then by 4 percentage points per year until reaching 100% by 2035. A fixed deduction of DKK 165,000 (approx. €22,110) applies to BEVs, compared to only DKK 45,000 for ICE vehicles emitting less than 50g CO₂/km. BEVs are fully exempt from the CO₂ allowance surcharge. For ICE vehicles, the surcharge ranges from DKK 280 to DKK 1,064 depending on CO₂ emissions. A battery capacity deduction (up to 45 kWh) was phased out by 2025.
- Ownership tax benefits
Vehicles registered after 1 July 2021 are subject to a CO₂-based annual ownership tax. BEVs pay DKK 840 in 2025, increasing to DKK 920 in 2026 (approx. €123). In contrast, a petrol car emitting 100g CO₂/km pays DKK 1,160 per year.Since 1 January 2022, Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs) are taxed in the same way as petrol vehicles.
- Company Tax Benefits
The taxable benefit for private use of a company car (Benefit in Kind – BIK) is 25% of the car’s registered value. Since BEVs benefit from reduced registration tax, this leads to lower taxable value and BIK for employees.Employer-paid electricity for workplace charging is exempt from tax.Plug-in hybrid vehicles face a DKK 30,000 surcharge in the BIK calculation, while BEVs benefit from a DKK 15,000 deduction.
- VAT Benefits
The standard VAT rate in Denmark is 25%, with no reductions for BEVs or related goods and services. Input VAT on passenger cars, including BEVs, is generally non-deductible. However, VAT on vans and trucks used for business purposes is fully deductible.
- Other financial benefits
From 1 January 2024, electricity tax reimbursement for EV charging is 94.63 øre/kWh (incl. VAT). This lowers the cost of home and workplace charging.Free charging at workplaces is tax-free for employees. Housing associations can receive subsidies for installing charging points, supported by a DKK 92.5 million national fund (2023–2025).
- AF infrastructure incentives
- DKK 50 million has been allocated to develop public charging infrastructure.
- Housing associations can receive grants covering up to 25% of charging installation costs under a DKK 92.5 million programme (2023–2025).
- 25 new charging parks for electric trucks are planned, with first sites operational by 2025.
- Private companies (e.g., PowerGo) are installing ~1,600 public chargers across Denmark (2023–2025).
- Commercial charging stations benefit from a continued electricity tax exemption (2024–2025).
- Building regulations require:
- Existing buildings with >20 parking spaces to have at least one charger installed.
- Buildings with >10 parking spaces undergoing renovation must install one charger and pre-equip every fifth space.
- Non-residential buildings with >10 parking spaces must also include at least one charger.
- A DKK 6 million fund (2023–2025) supports a national knowledge center for EV charging infrastructure.
- Local incentives
Free parking for BEVs is being phased out:
- Copenhagen: Ended free parking for electric and hydrogen vehicles on 1 January 2024.
- Aarhus: Offers four hours of free parking for BEVs until 1 October 2025.
- Aalborg: Free parking for BEVs discontinued in 2023.
- Odense & Esbjerg: Offer limited free parking subject to specific conditions.
- Announced Policy Changes (Effective Later in 2025 and After)
- Denmark aims to have 1 million green vehicles by 2030.
- Gradual registration tax increases for BEVs will continue until 2035, reaching parity with ICE vehicle taxation.
- A ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles is proposed for 2030, with hybrids phased out by 2035.
- Favourable tax regimes for BEVs are expected to be extended to maintain adoption rates.
- Policy changes are expected regarding co-financing rules for municipal public charging infrastructure.
- Interesting links
- Institutions Involved in Incentives
Skatteforvaltningen (Danish Tax Agency)Danish Ministry of TransportDanish Energy AgencyDanish Road DirectorateDanish Environmental Protection Agency
Incentives and Legislation timeline
- 2016Introduction of Partial Registration Tax
The full exemption from registration tax was lifted, and EVs were subjected to 20% of the normal registration tax rate.
- 2017-2019Registration Tax Capped at 20%
The registration tax for EVs remained capped at 20% of the normal rate, with planned increases delayed. Initially, the government planned to increase the tax to 40% in 2017 and to the full rate within five years. However, the significant sales drop in 2016 prompted a policy adjustment, keeping the rate at 20% through 2019 to stabilize the market.
- 2020 (December 18)New Tax Scheme Introduced
A new vehicle tax scheme increased the registration tax for zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), including battery electric vehicles (BEVs), to 40% of the full rate. Announced as part of a “green conversion of road transport” initiative, the new scheme was agreed upon on December 10, 2020, and applied retroactively from December 18, 2020, with official implementation on June 1, 2021. The scheme aimed to support 775,000 zero- and low-emission vehicles by 2030.
- 2021-202540% Registration Tax with Decreasing Battery Size Deduction
ZEVs remained subject to 40% of the full registration tax. A battery size deduction was introduced but decreased annually until phased out in 2025:
- 2021: €228/kWh (DKK 1,700 per kWh)
- 2022: €175/kWh (DKK 1,300 per kWh)
- 2023: €121/kWh (DKK 900 per kWh)
- 2024: €67/kWh (DKK 500 per kWh)
- 2025: Phased out
The battery size deduction, applicable to batteries up to 45 kWh, reduced the taxable value of EVs, making them more affordable. The deduction was a transitional mechanism to support EV adoption during the tax phase-in. The base deduction for ZEVs was DKK 170,000 in 2021, slightly reduced to DKK 165,000 by 2025
- 2026-2030Gradual Increase in Registration Tax
The registration tax for ZEVs will increase by 8 percentage points annually, reaching 80% of the full rate by 2030.
Starting in 2026, the tax rate will rise to 48%, then increase each year (e.g., 56% in 2027, 64% in 2028) until reaching 80% in 2030. This gradual phase-in is part of a long-term plan to align ZEV taxation with conventional vehicles
- Post-2030Full Alignment with Conventional Vehicle Taxation
The registration tax for ZEVs will continue to increase by 4 percentage points annually, reaching 100% of the full rate in 2035.