German automakers are clearly leading the market in new electric vehicle (EV) registrations in Germany, according to an analysis. Eight of the ten best-selling electric cars in the third quarter came from German manufacturers, the consulting firm EY reported on Wednesday. Volkswagen topped the brand rankings, while Chinese brands did not make it into the top ten, and Tesla continued to decline.
Overall, new EV registrations in Germany rose 45 percent in the third quarter compared to the same period last year, EY noted, citing figures from the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA). “At first glance, that’s good news,” commented EY automotive market expert Constantin Gall. “However, the strong increase is mainly due to the very weak previous year,” he added.
Compared to the third quarter of 2023, registrations actually fell by 20 percent. “Back then, the environmental bonus had provided a boost,” Gall explained. In total, around as many EVs are expected to be newly registered in Germany in 2025 as two years ago. “This looks more like stagnation than a real ramp-up of electromobility.”
The auto industry had anticipated a significantly better development, Gall continued. Plans are now being adjusted to reality. “This means internal combustion engines will remain in use much longer. The expensive coexistence of EVs and combustion vehicles will burden the industry for many years.” According to EY, German companies increased their EV sales by 41 percent in the third quarter, though their market share slightly decreased from 62 to 60 percent.
In the ranking of most popular EV models, five Volkswagen Group vehicles led the third quarter. Thanks to a 173 percent increase, the ID.3 moved to the top with 8,236 new registrations, followed by the ID.7 and newcomer Skoda Elroq. Next were the VW ID.4 and Skoda Enyaq. Only in sixth place did a non-Volkswagen Group EV appear: the BMW iX1. The Tesla Model Y, second last year, fell to ninth place with registrations down 49 percent. The most successful Chinese EV in the third quarter was the Leapmotor T03, ranking 28th with 1,674 registrations.
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