Electric Cars Drive Passenger Car Market in March 2026 in Germany: New Registrations of Fully Electric Vehicles up 66%

Flensburg (Germany) – New passenger car registrations in Germany rose sharply in March 2026: According to figures from the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), around 294,200 vehicles were newly registered. This represents an increase of 16% compared to the same month last year. For the first quarter (January to March 2026), registrations increased by 5% to 699,400 passenger cars.

In addition to the weak level of the previous year, the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) believes that an additional working day in March this year also supported the growth in new registrations.

Fully electric vehicles (BEVs) showed particularly dynamic growth. With 70,663 new registrations in March 2026, their volume rose by 66.2% compared to the same month last year, reaching a market share of 24.0%. In the first quarter, 159,630 BEVs were newly registered, corresponding to an increase of 41.3% and a market share of 22.8%.

Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) also recorded significant growth. With 29,996 new registrations, the segment increased by 13% in March 2026 compared to the same month last year (March 2025: 26,553 vehicles). Together with BEVs, a total of 100,659 fully or partially electric passenger cars were newly registered—equivalent to 34.2% of all new registrations in March and an increase of 45.7% compared to the same month last year (March 2025: 69,074 vehicles). In the first quarter (Jan–Mar 2026), 235,744 electric vehicles (BEVs plus PHEVs) were newly registered, resulting in a market share of 33.7%.

By contrast, traditional combustion-engine vehicles recorded declining figures: gasoline-powered cars totaled 66,959 new registrations in March 2026, representing a decrease of 4.9% and a market share of 22.8%. Diesel vehicles accounted for 37,664 new registrations, with a share of 12.8% (down 0.6%), while liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) vehicles totaled 1,015 (0.3% market share, down 18.9%). In the first quarter, the declines in combustion-engine vehicles were even more pronounced: gasoline cars fell by 16.1% to 159,058 units, diesel cars by 6.5% to 96,311 units, and LPG vehicles by 41.2% to 1,692 units.

According to industry sources, the increase in total registrations in March 2026 was also supported by an additional working day.

Source: IWR Online, 08 Apr 2026