Germany's EV exports soar 58 percent to one quarter of all cars shipped abroad

The number of electric vehicles (EVs) exported from Germany rose sharply in 2023, meaning that EVs accounted for about one quarter of all car exports that year, the country’s statistical office Destatis has said. The country exported about 786,000 fully electric cars for a total value of roughly 36 billion euros - an increase of 58 percent compared to 2022. The most important destinations for EVs produced in Germany were the Netherlands, the UK and Belgium, Destatis added. Imports of EVs to Germany climbed about 23 percent to 446,000 units, with more than a quarter coming from China.

Combustion engine cars still accounted for more than two-thirds of all cars made in Germany last year, and their exports also increased, albeit at a much slower rate. With 1.7 million units sold abroad, conventional car exports increased 13 percent, with the US, the UK and China being the top destinations. The total number of EVs produced in Germany was 60 percent higher than in 2022. New registrations in Germany increased roughly 11 percent to 524,200 e-cars, far below the 2.3 million new combustion engine cars that were newly registered during the same period.

The automotive industry is Germany’s most important manufacturing business in terms of revenue, Destatis added. About 60 companies in the sector generated a combined record revenue of 430 billion euros in 2023, which was partly caused by higher prices. This represented nearly one-fifth of all industry revenue in the country in that year, with exports accounting for more than three-quarters of sales. Electric car sales collapsed at the beginning of the year following an abrupt subsidy cut in late 2023.