The number of new electric cars sold in Germany rose by nearly 396,000 last year to nearly 1.41 million in 2023, data published by the Federal Motor Transport Authority shows, meaning one in 35 cars is fully electric (BEV). , reports DPA.

If you add the approximately 2,000 vehicles powered by fuel cells and another 922,000 plug-in hybrids, there were 2.33 million electric vehicles (EVs) on the highways last year, or one in 21 cars.

EV sales growth is slightly higher than in 2022, when nearly 395,000 units were sold.

In total, 524,000 fully electric cars were registered in Germany last year, and in 2024 the authorities expect a smaller advance. Germany’s electric vehicle (EV) subsidy program was prematurely ended in December after around ten billion euros had been repaid since 2016. Initially, EV subsidies were meant to run until the end of 2024, according to Agerpres.

In the first two months of this year, 50,000 fully electric cars were registered in Germany, well below the 2023 average.

The largest group of electric vehicles in Germany are SUVs, responsible for more than a third of all electric car registrations: 487,000. Also, 238,000 mini cars and 235,000 small cars were registered.

In the case of brands, the leader of the German market is Volkswagen, with approximately 237,000 EVs, followed by Tesla (164,000), Renault (120,000), Hyundai (92,000) and BMW (85,000).

Germany’s auto industry, a pillar of Europe’s largest economy, has managed to make a modest comeback after shutdowns and supply chain problems caused by the pandemic in recent years. But even so, the outlook worsened as high inflation raised production costs and eroded household purchasing power, leading to weaker demand.