Alternative drives continue to grow strongly in January

In Germany, 36,911 electric vehicles were newly registered in January. The increase compared to the same month last year is 129 percent. New registrations of purely battery-powered electric cars (BEVs) totaled 16,315 units (up 118 percent). In addition, 20,588 plug-in hybrids were registered (up 138 percent), according to the Federal Motor Transport Authority. At 22 percent, the share of electric vehicles in the overall market was three times higher in January than in the same month last year (7 percent).

Reinhard Zirpel, President of the Association of International Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (VDIK) emphasized: “The demand for vehicles with alternative drives remains high at the beginning of the new year. More than one in five new cars was an electric vehicle in January. According to our forecast, more than 600,000 battery electric cars and plug-in hybrids could be newly registered in the current year.”

The VDIK regularly updates the list of electric vehicles from international manufacturers. The VDIK member companies currently offer around 100 electric models (passenger cars and commercial vehicle models) that customers can order in Germany. The VDIK electric list can be accessed here.

Demand for vehicles with alternative drives increased overall in January. There were 62,371 new electric cars, hybrids with and without plugs, mild hybrids (48 volts) and gas-powered passenger cars registered. The year-over-year increase is 59 percent. Overall, cars with alternative powertrains increased their share of the total market to 37 percent in January, up from 25 percent in 2020.