ADAC Analysis: E-car Market Remains at a Low Level After Subsidy Halt
The discontinued purchase premium for electric cars continues to impact the sales of electric vehicles. In March, nearly 31,400 battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) were newly registered, almost 30 percent less than in the same month last year. In particular, private new registrations have dropped significantly compared to the end of 2023. A total of 11,403 electric-powered cars were newly registered privately in March 2024. This shows at least a slight upward trend compared to the previous month, as 10,858 e-vehicles were registered in February.
However, there was an increase in private new registrations in December 2023. This was driven by the announced subsidy cut before the abrupt end of the environmental bonus completely stopped the subsidy. This approach, according to ADAC, has destroyed trust and further unsettled consumers. Particularly affected were people who had already ordered a vehicle and factored in the subsidy but were unable to register it in time. Although many car manufacturers have bridged the gap with discounts, the uncertainty, according to ADAC, is lingering and leading to further purchase restraint.
Commercial New Registrations of E-Cars at a Low Level
Commercial new registrations remain at the low level of recent months. In 2024, there have so far been an average of just over 17,300 commercial new registrations per month for e-cars. The last peak in registrations in the commercial sector was in August 2023, due to the planned phasing out of the environmental bonus for commercial vehicles in September. From the ADAC's perspective, ramping up commercial fleets is essential in order to develop a solid used car market. This is particularly important given that, on average, only about 30 percent of car buyers opt for new cars.
Used Market is Developing
The used car market is currently developing in the context of numerous lease returns. The ADAC (General German Automobile Club) is confident that this will help spread electromobility more widely and make it accessible to those who cannot afford a new vehicle. In March, a high was recorded with a share of 2.14 percent of all re-registrations: only in two months over the past four years were more BEVs re-registered.
SUVs are Top Among E-Cars Too
SUVs remain the most popular segment with over half of the newly registered electric cars (17,071 out of 31,384). Vehicles in the compact class follow at a significant distance (3,348). The high registration numbers in the SUV segment are primarily due to the model offerings. According to the ADAC, the variety of offerings needs to grow significantly here and the price for smaller vehicles needs to become much more attractive in order to compete with combustion engine alternatives.
Translated automatically from German.Elektromobilität , Newsletter Elektromobilität , IAA Mobility , SUVs und Geländewagen , Hybrid , Antriebsarten, Kraftstoffe und Emissionen , Oberklasse- und Sportwagen , Carsharing , Autonomes Fahren (Straßenverkehr) , Ladeinfrastruktur , Verkehrspolitik , Formel E , Brennstoffzellen , Fahrzeug-Vernetzung und -Kommunikation , Fahrzeuge & Fuhrpark , Automotive-Messen & Veranstaltungen , Pkw, Kompakt- und Mittelklasse , Minis und Kleinwagen , E-Auto-Datenbank, E-Mobilität-/Automotive-Newsletter, E-Auto-Tests