German passenger car market still a long way from pre-crisis level

In July 236,400 passenger cars were newly registered in Germany. That was 25 percent less than in the same month last year. This is the first monthly fall after four consecutive months of growth. A total of 1.6 million cars have been newly registered this year. This represents a 7 percent rise over 2020. However, the number of new passenger cars is down by a quarter in comparison with the same period in 2019, i.e. before the corona crisis. So the German passenger car market is still a long way from its pre-crisis level.

New registrations of electric cars showed a year-on-year rise in July of 55 percent and climbed to 55,650 units. The proportion of e-cars among new registrations thus came to 23.5 percent. New registrations of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) added 52 percent, while plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) added 58 percent.

New orders arriving from Germany in July remained 21 percent below last year’s level. The year-to-date increase is almost 7 percent. Foreign business is currently proving to be only a little better, as the German manufacturers recorded a 14 percent fall in foreign orders. Since January, however, 24 percent more orders have arrived from other countries than did in the first seven months of 2020.

Production at the German automotive plants slumped once again in July. In all, 246,600 passenger cars were built (-25 percent). During the first seven months domestic production totaled nearly 2.0 million cars (+9 percent). The shortages of semiconductors continue to hold back production. Exports also lost ground in July. A total of 172,200 passenger cars (-27 percent) were delivered to destinations outside Germany. This year so far, 1.5 million cars (+11 percent) have been supplied to customers around the world.