The electric car market has been growing considerably in Germany since last year. Especially in the last three months of 2022, there was considerable growth in EV sales reaching over 40% of the total cars market.
The trend is expected to be similar throughout this year as well.
What are currently the best-selling electric cars in Germany?
From Tesla Model 3 to Fiat 500 E, from Volkswagen ID.3 and ID.4 to Hyundai Kona, let’s have a look at the top electric cars in Germany.
The growth in electric car sales: a long trend.
Last October, 67,845 new passenger plug-in electric cars were registered in Germany. It is a 25% increase compared to 2021, bringing the market share up to 32.5%. In November, the sales of full-electric vehicles increased by 44% reaching a total of 57,980 for a 22.3% market share.
December was the best month for car sales with a 55.4% growth. Full electric cars made up 33.2% of sales, while plugin hybrids made up 22.2%. Plugless hybrids accounted for 12.8% of sales, leaving just a third of sales for combustion-only autos (31.8%).
In 2022, BMW sold more battery-electric cars worldwide than Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche combined. Tesla outsold globally the German premium luxury brands combined in terms of electric cars sold. Porsche had the highest percentage of electric cars in its global sales mix but sold fewer BEVs in 2022 than in 2021. This actually shows a trend: in Germany, local car brands tended to have a smaller share of electric cars in their sales volume compared to foreign carmakers.
| Brand | All Cars | BEV | % BEV | % 22/21 BEV | % 22/21 All Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audi | 1,614,200 | 118,200 | 7.3 | 44.3 | -3.9 |
| BMW | 2,100,692 | 172,000 | 8.2 | 107.7 | -5.1 |
| Mercedes-Benz | 2,043,900 | 117,800 | 5.7 | 124.0 | -1.0 |
| Porsche | 309,900 | 34,800 | 11.2 | -15.7 | 2.6 |
| Volkswagen | 4,563,300 | 325,100 | 7.1 | 23.6 | -6.8 |
| Tesla | 1,313,851 | 1,313,851 | 100.0 | – | 40.3 |
Car Sales data provided by brands and KBA.
How Germany could help this trend extend for a longer time
One important factor in the success of electric vehicles is the provision of adequate charging infrastructure. As EVs become more popular, more charging stations need to be built in order to accommodate this demand. Germany is already planning in building more charging stations, but more needs to be done to make them accessible and convenient to use.
One way to help increase sales of electric vehicles in Germany is to mandate a certain percentage of new vehicle sales to be electric. Similar policies have been successful in California and could be implemented in Germany as well. This would help to increase the number of EVs on the road and create a larger market for EV manufacturers. This was, incidentally, one of the reasons for Tesla’s early success.
The German government could also focus on promoting green transportation and sustainable living by emphasizing the importance of reducing carbon emissions and protecting the environment. This would help to create a culture where EVs are seen as a logical choice for transportation.
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What to expect next
The number of EVs in Germany has been rising in recent years. This will most likely continue in the coming years as concerns about climate change and sustainability increase. In 2022 in Germany, the total volume of BEV sales reached 470,592 cars. This year the number is expected to at least double.
Another milestone reached by Germany in the last few days is the country reached a total of 1 million EVs registered. This is quite a success despite german car brands in have been very “conservative” and “slow” in switching to electric power units. No surprise then that the best-selling electric car in Germany is the Tesla Model 3, and german brands are struggling to catch up.
This growth of electric vehicles is due in part to government incentives and subsidies. In Germany, the government currently offers financial incentives to consumers. Those are set to be reduced between the next few months and 2024. Incentives and subsidies have been a successful strategy in countries such as Norway and the Netherlands, where EV sales have been steadily increasing. Will the german car market be negatively influenced by this decision by the government?
What is the top electric car brand in Germany?
While there is fierce competition between Tesla and Volkswagen to become the most successful EV brand in Germany, the other german car brands are looking to catch up. BMW has seen its sales of electric vehicles double last year, even if the total number of sales of the group actually dropped.
Mercedes’ global sales dropped too, but the good news is the sales of Mercedes’ full-electric cars grew 124% in 2022 to 117,800. Opel is set to sell an electric version of each of its cars by 2024 and sell only electric ones by 2028. The brand was actually one of the pioneers of EVs with the launch of the Ampera more than a decade ago.
Tesla is still a serious competitor, especially for german brands in their own country. Foreign consumers seem to be more loyal to german car brands compared to germans.
| Brand | Total Sales | BEV Sales | % BEV | % 22/21 BEV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audi | 213,410 | 28,322 | 13.3 | 62.2 |
| BMW | 209,722 | 23,470 | 11.2 | 51.4 |
| Mercedes-Benz | 243,999 | 25,182 | 10.3 | 90.7 |
| Porsche | 29,315 | 4,789 | 16.3 | -9.9 |
| Volkswagen | 480,967 | 63,206 | 13.1 | -10.9 |
| Tesla | 69,963 | 69,963 | 100.0 | – |
| Mini | 40,142 | 11,744 | 29.3 | 24.2 |
| Germany | 2,651,357 | 470,559 | 17.7 | 30.1 |
Car Sales data provided by brands and KBA.
What are the top-selling electric cars in Germany this year?
The Fiat 500 electric car has been one of the best-selling electric cars in the last few months. right after tesla. Hyundai is performing well thanks to its Kona and IQ models. Among german brands, Volkswagen has great numbers for its ID.3 and ID.4. The iconic VW golf, which used to be offered as an electric car too, has been discontinued. Both Tesla Model 3 and Model Y are in the top three almost every month.
What will be the top electric car in Germany this year? The results from last year could help identify some possible contenders, however, we are going to keep an eye out for new models and breakthroughs on the market.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of Impakter.com — In the Featured Photo: The Volkswagen ID Buzz. The electric version of the iconic VW Bully. Featured Photo Credit: Unsplash.
