(de-news.net) – Over the past year, demand for electric vehicles increased again, though the pattern of growth remained uneven across the market. Data published by the Federal Motor Transport Authority showed that just over 545,000 battery-electric vehicles were newly registered, marking a substantial year-on-year increase of more than 40 percent. This upswing followed a pronounced contraction in 2024, when sales declined sharply after the abrupt termination of the environmental incentive scheme. Despite this rebound, overall growth in new registrations compared with 2023 amounted to only around four percent, indicating that the recovery of the electric vehicle segment remains fragile and not yet firmly established.
The German passenger car market as a whole recorded a modest improvement in 2025. Approximately 2.9 million new cars were registered, corresponding to an annual increase of about 1.4 percent. Registration activity accelerated notably toward the end of the year, with December showing particularly strong growth. While private registrations expanded and gained some relative importance, commercial registrations continued to account for the majority of new vehicles. Consumer preferences in vehicle appearance remained stable, with white, black, and gray again dominating new purchases. From a technological perspective, the market continued to shift away from conventional powertrains: the combined share of gasoline- and diesel-powered cars fell to just over 40 percent, whereas hybrid vehicles emerged as the largest category, accounting for more than 39 percent of all new registrations.
Most German manufacturers reported broadly positive results over the year. Among the major domestic brands, BMW recorded the strongest growth, closely followed by Ford, while Volkswagen maintained its position as the market leader in terms of overall share. Additional, though more moderate, increases were reported by Mercedes-Benz, Mini, MAN, and Audi. In contrast, Opel, Porsche, and Smart experienced notable declines, reflecting divergent brand-specific dynamics. Within the group of import brands, Skoda stood out as the strongest overall performer, and together with Seat closed the year with robust gains and six-figure registration volumes. At the same time, several foreign manufacturers reported year-on-year increases, in some cases from a comparatively low base, while others—notably Tesla, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Toyota, and Hyundai—registered significant declines.
Sport utility vehicles continued to dominate the passenger car market, accounting for roughly one-third of all new registrations and extending their growth trajectory. Although the segment started from a smaller base, the upper mid-size class recorded the highest relative increase, followed by compact cars and small cars. Developments by drivetrain type were largely favorable for alternative technologies. Battery-electric vehicles reached a market share of around 19 percent, while hybrids, including plug-in hybrids, together accounted for close to 40 percent of new registrations. By contrast, gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles experienced pronounced declines. These shifts were accompanied by a marked environmental effect, as the average CO₂ emissions of newly registered cars fell sharply to approximately 106 grams per kilometer.
Conditions in the commercial vehicle market were more subdued. Registrations of trucks and tractor units declined compared with the previous year, while buses were the only category to exceed prior-year levels. In total, just under 391,000 new commercial vehicles were registered, with electric and plug-in hybrid models accounting for slightly less than 10 percent of the total. The motorcycle market contracted significantly in 2025, contributing to an overall reduction in total vehicle registrations. In contrast, the used vehicle market showed modest growth, with more than 7.6 million vehicles changing ownership over the course of the year, underscoring continued activity in the secondary market despite weaker new registrations in some segments.