Jan 8, 2026
Electric car registrations in Germany increase by 43% in 2025 after a previous decline.
The adoption of electric vehicles accelerated in Germany last year. Registrations of fully electric cars surged by 43 percent compared to 2024, when sales dropped following the sudden end of purchase subsidies, according to the motor vehicle authority KBA. However, last year's sales of approximately 545,000 electric cars represented only a slight increase of four percent from 2023.
"While the data may initially suggest a surge in electric vehicle sales, the significant growth in 2025 is primarily a recovery from the sharp decline in 2024," stated transport analyst Constantin Gall from EY consultancy to newswire dpa. The government intends to launch a new subsidy for electric vehicles this year.
In total, new car registrations increased by 1.4 percent, reaching 2.9 million, according to KBA. The proportion of battery-electric vehicles accounted for 19.1 percent of all new registrations last year. The average CO2 emissions for new cars decreased by nearly 12 percent, averaging 105.8 grams per kilometer.
Industry associations and researchers informed newswire Reuters, in an article featured in the energy and climate newsletter Tagesspiegel Background, that they anticipate this share will rise to 25 percent by 2026.
Electric vehicle sales in Germany remain significantly behind the government's earlier goals of having 15 million EVs on the roads by 2030. The high average cost of new electric vehicles poses a significant barrier to widespread adoption, as it often restricts purchases to individuals with higher incomes.
"While the data may initially suggest a surge in electric vehicle sales, the significant growth in 2025 is primarily a recovery from the sharp decline in 2024," stated transport analyst Constantin Gall from EY consultancy to newswire dpa. The government intends to launch a new subsidy for electric vehicles this year.
In total, new car registrations increased by 1.4 percent, reaching 2.9 million, according to KBA. The proportion of battery-electric vehicles accounted for 19.1 percent of all new registrations last year. The average CO2 emissions for new cars decreased by nearly 12 percent, averaging 105.8 grams per kilometer.
Industry associations and researchers informed newswire Reuters, in an article featured in the energy and climate newsletter Tagesspiegel Background, that they anticipate this share will rise to 25 percent by 2026.
Electric vehicle sales in Germany remain significantly behind the government's earlier goals of having 15 million EVs on the roads by 2030. The high average cost of new electric vehicles poses a significant barrier to widespread adoption, as it often restricts purchases to individuals with higher incomes.