VDIK: Alternative drives increase by 69 percent - BEV boom before premium ends

New registrations of passenger cars with alternative drives increased by 69.3 percent in August compared to the same month last year. A total of 158,146 vehicles were registered by the Federal Motor Transport Authority, as reported by the Association of International Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (VDIK). In the first eight months of this year, 23.9 percent more new electric cars, hybrids with and without plugs, mild hybrids, and gas-powered cars were newly registered than in the same period last year, totaling 907,133 units. Between January and August, alternative drives accounted for a 47.4 percent share of the total market.

The strongest growth among alternative drives in August was recorded by battery electric vehicles (BEV). A total of 86,649 new BEVs hit the roads, representing an increase of 170.7 percent compared to the same month last year. August marked the end of subsidies for commercially registered electric cars with the environmental bonus, leading to a genuine end spurt. Plug-in hybrids experienced a decline with 14,552 new registrations, a drop of 41.1 percent. In the first eight months of 2023, 355,575 battery electric cars were newly registered (an increase of 55.9 percent compared to the same period last year). Additionally, 107,962 plug-in hybrids were newly registered (a decrease of 42.4 percent).