The German electric passenger-car market takes a record leap in July
The increased environmental bonus has given demand for e-cars a huge boost – Plug-in-hybrids exhibit especially vigorous growth – In June every 10th passenger car made in Germany was already an e-car.
In July 2020, new registrations of electric passenger cars in Germany rose 288 percent to 35,955 units, thereby setting a new record, according to the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA). E-cars accounted for 11.4 percent of total new passenger-car registrations in July, passing the 10 percent mark for the first time. In the first seven months of 2020, 129,936 new e-cars (+128 percent) were registered in Germany. The share of total new passenger-car registrations attributable to e-cars rose to 8.5 percent during the same period.
Plug-in hybrids (PHEV) showed an especially dynamic trend in July, when new registrations nearly sextupled to the record figure of 19,119 units (+485 percent). "PHEV are a major component of individual mobility. They unite the best of two worlds by combining electrical powertrains creating zero local emissions with the greater range desired by many customers," stressed Hildegard Müller, President of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA). In July new registrations of battery-electric vehicles (BEV) went up 182 percent to 16,798 units – another record.
German automakers were able to further expand their share of the e-car market to 70 percent in July 2020 – as compared with 57 percent in July 2019. Two out of three e-cars registered during the first seven months of 2020 were made by German manufacturers. "The model offensive mounted by the German automobile producers – with 70 different electric models now on the market – is obviously paying off," says Hildegard Müller. "For further growth, however, we need a nationwide charging infrastructure."
In July private customers made up 40 percent of new e-car registrations and were thus – for the first time in 2020 – the most important group of e-vehicle owners, surpassing companies (38 percent) by two percent. "Following the doubling of the environmental bonus by the German government, the backlog of demand is now evidently being met," underscored Hildegard Müller. The new subsidy rates apply retroactively for vehicles registered after 3 June 2020.
The Federal Office of Economic and Export Control (BAFA) reported 19,993 applications for the bonus in July (including 11,073 for BEV) – a new monthly record. Since this measure was enacted, a total of 239,673 applications have been submitted (as of 10 August 2020).
The economic location of Germany was able to almost triple its production of e-cars in June to 30,633 in comparison with June 2019 (+196 percent). Today every 10th passenger car made in Germany is an e-car. Globally, the German automakers upped their production of e-cars by 59 percent to 256,242 units during the first six months of 2020.