Electric car sales in Germany break records, but automakers face serious challenges

Germany recorded its strongest first half ever for new electric car registrations. They rose 35% year on year to nearly 250,000, surpassing the previous record set in the first half of 2023. The international news site Clean Energy Wire reported.

According to statistics published by the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW), Germany’s electric car market has recovered from a weaker 2024 and returned to growth. This is reflected in the number of new electric car registrations in the first half of this year, which rose 35% year on year and exceeded the previous 2023 record by 13%.

“Electric mobility is gaining momentum,” BDEW chief Kerstin Andreae commented on the figures, adding that Germany needs a strong domestic market for electric cars to maintain its international success in the automotive industry.

BDEW also said that Germany’s public charging network had been expanded by around 20,000 charging points to 184,000. The total capacity of public chargers now stands at 8.5 GW.

According to BDEW, charging an electric car in Germany is now cheaper than running one on petrol or diesel in the vast majority of scenarios compared. A recent survey by German energy company E.ON found that fuel savings are the main reason most German drivers switch to battery electric cars.

Uncertain future for automakers

Record electric car sales in the first half of this year have not eased concerns about the future among German automakers and automotive suppliers.

The international news site Clean Energy Wire noted that the German government plans to hold a summit with representatives of the automotive industry to address key challenges, including the transition to electric mobility, US tariffs and growing competition from China.

All this comes as companies such as Bosch and Ford announce plans to cut jobs in Germany. According to Clean Energy Wire, automakers Volkswagen and Porsche have also discussed cutting production and jobs amid growing tensions in the automotive industry.