What the ZE-zone changes
A milieuzone restricts by emission class; a zero-emission zone goes further and ultimately admits only emission-free vehicles for the affected segment. Rotterdam's ZE-zone for bestelwagens phases in with transition rules — notably for Euro-6 vehicles registered before the cut-off date — so the question for a dispatcher is not just "is this van clean enough" but "is it clean enough for this zone, on this date."
The mixed-fleet routing pattern
Most small fleets do not flip to all-electric overnight. The workable pattern is to assign EVs to the central ZE runs (Erasmusbrug, Coolsingel, Kralingse Plas corridors) and route diesels around the perimeter, picking up perimeter drops and handing inner-city stops to the electric vehicles. Fleetkeur builds this split automatically rather than leaving it to the dispatcher's memory — the method is laid out in mixed-fleet routing: EVs in the zone, diesels on the ring.
Charging windows are part of the route
The catch with running EVs on the central loop is range and charging. A ZE-zone plan that ignores opportunity-charge windows strands a van mid-shift. Fleetkeur treats charging as a route constraint, not an afterthought — see delivery windows + EV charging stops.
Before the van rolls
Every assignment starts from a kenteken milieuzone check so the dispatcher knows whether a vehicle is ZE-eligible for the destination. Where a diesel must enter for a qualifying reason, file an ontheffing. Compare Rotterdam against the other large LEZs in our Rotterdam / Utrecht / Amsterdam comparison, or see the Amsterdam milieuzone rules.
Live ruleset reflects publicly available Gemeente Rotterdam, CROW and RDW data. Verify with the gemeente for legally definitive guidance.