Car registrations on the rise in Germany, electric vehicles with strongest growth

Car registrations in Germany have risen by 13 percent in the first half of 2023 - compared to the same period last year - with the number of newly registered electric vehicles increasing most significantly, according to data by the federal motor transport authority (KBA). Registrations for purely battery-powered cars increased by close to a third (31.7%) to slightly more than 220,000 in the first half of the year, compared to the first half of 2022. Registrations in June alone saw a two third increase compared to the same month the previous year. Last year a shortage of components led to an order pileup, which is likely driving the numbers up, newspaper Zeit reports. Large fleet companies and car rental companies were the main reason for the increase in new registrations (almost 70%), while private car registrations increased only slightly.

However, the increasing popularity of electric vehicles did not cause the average CO₂ emissions of newly registered cars to fall in the first half of the year, according to the KBA. The reason may lie in SUVs, which have also increased in popularity and are considered particularly harmful to the climate, according to Zeit. Petrol engine cars still account for the largest share of new registrations at 35.6 percent, while the market share for electric vehicles lies at 18.9 percent. Demand for diesel cars grew again to reach 16.7 percent.

The electrification of the transport sector is key for the energy transition: switching combustion engine cars for electric vehicles is set to make a big contribution in reducing emissions in the sector, as they have remained stubbornly high for years.