Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for a record 37% of Germany’s new car registrations in October, according to data released by the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA), the country’s federal motor vehicle authority, as reported by Electrek. Registrations reached 94,086 units, marking a 79.5% increase from 52,425 units recorded in the same month last year.
For the second consecutive month, registrations of fully electric vehicles exceeded the combined total of petrol and diesel cars. Germany has also surpassed the automotive industry’s full-year EV sales forecast for 2026, with two months remaining in the year.
Overall, the German new car market recorded modest growth in October, with registrations increasing 1.7% year-on-year to 254,492 units. However, conventional combustion-engine vehicles experienced significant declines. Petrol car registrations fell 40.5% to 38,516 units, accounting for 15.1% of the market, while diesel registrations declined 21.6% to 23,882 units, representing a 9.4% share. Combined, petrol and diesel vehicles accounted for just 24.5% of new registrations, 12.5 percentage points below the share of BEVs alone.
Plug-in hybrid vehicle registrations decreased 7.9% to 28,499 units, equivalent to an 11.2% market share. Together, BEVs and plug-in hybrids accounted for approximately 48% of Germany’s new-car market in October. Average CO2 emissions from newly registered vehicles declined 21.1% year-over-year to 79.4 g/km.
BEVs became Germany’s best-selling powertrain for the first time in June, securing a 28.4% market share. Their share subsequently increased to 32.4% in August, 34.5% in September, and reached a record 37% in October.
During the first ten months of 2026, Germany registered 698,230 BEVs, representing a 60.7% increase compared with the same period a year earlier. BEVs accounted for 28.2% of the country’s 2.48 million new-car registrations during the period, up from approximately 19% for full-year 2025. The total also exceeded the German automotive industry’s forecast of around 693,000 BEV registrations for all of 2026, a milestone reached before the end of October.
A key factor behind the growth has been Germany’s revised EV incentive program, which applies retroactively to vehicles registered from January 1, 2026. The scheme provides €3,000 for the purchase or lease of a new battery-electric vehicle, with support rising to €6,000 for lower-income households with children. Eligibility is limited to households with taxable incomes below €80,000, or €90,000 for families with children.
The program is primarily aimed at private consumers, and registration data indicates stronger demand from this segment. Private registrations increased 20.6% in October, while commercial registrations declined 8.2%. Private buyers accounted for 40.7% of all new-vehicle registrations during the month.
The latest rebound follows a sharp decline in BEV demand after Germany abruptly ended its previous EV subsidy program in December 2023.
However, Germany’s automotive industry faces mounting challenges. October registrations declined at Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche and Opel, while Volkswagen Group reported a €5.9 billion operating loss for the third quarter. The group has also approved plans to cut 100,000 jobs and close several German plants.
Despite these difficulties, demand for new EV models remains strong. Volkswagen’s ID. Polo has secured over 30,000 orders, while BMW’s Neue Klasse iX3 has attracted more than 50,000.
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