Half of all EVs sold in Germany made by VW, as Tesla tumbles from 1st to 8th

Every second electric car sold in Germany in the first quarter of 2025 was made by Volkswagen, while two out of three newly registered e-vehicles came from German manufacturers, according to a report by newspaper Die Welt.

Registration figures by Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) since the beginning of 2025 had shown a clear lead by German brands’ electric cars.

“Overall, German car manufacturers are showing high growth rates in the German market and clearly dominate,” Jan Sieper of consultancy EY told the newspaper, attributing German automaker leadership partly to brand loyalty and trust.

Chinese manufacturers increased sales in the European country but, with just a 2-percent share, still do not play a significant role in the market, an analysis by EY had found. EU tariffs on Chinese e-cars were likely stopping them from gaining a serious foothold in the market, said Sieper.  

Mercedes Benz was the only exception in the German e-car trend. The company saw an 8-percent drop in electric car sales domestically and recorded an even greater decline globally. The EY report also showed US company Tesla fell from the top spot in the German e-car market to eighth place over the past year, putting it behind Korea’s Hyundai.  

Overall, electric car sales in Germany are slowly creeping up after the market collapsed in 2024, following the then government’s decision to scrap subsidies. Petrol car sales still significantly outperform their electric counterparts, with the latter reaching a 17-percent market share in the first quarter. Diesel vehicles made up 15.5 percent of the market, reported Die Welt. 

Clean Energy Wire. Reproduced with permission.