New Passenger Car Registrations in January: E-Mobility on the Rise
Stricter CO₂ Regulations Take Effect, Alternative Powertrains Gain Importance
The German passenger car market remained largely stable in January 2025, while the trend toward electromobility continued to strengthen. A total of 207,640 new registrations were recorded, representing a 2.8% decline compared to the same month last year. Despite the slight market downturn, the share of electrified vehicles grew significantly, while gasoline and diesel cars continued to lose ground.
Private Market Recovers, Fleet Registrations Decline
After several months of declining figures, the private new car market saw a 9.7% increase in January, with 68,434 registrations. However, this growth is also due to the weak figures from the previous year when many buyers had brought forward their electric car purchases due to the expiring subsidies.
In contrast, the commercial fleet market saw a 9% decline at the beginning of the year, with 67,099 vehicles registered. Car rental companies (-18.3% to 17,336 units) and vehicle dealerships (-6% to 37,031 vehicles) also experienced significant drops. Only manufacturers' self-registrations increased by 5.6% to 17,740 vehicles.
Strong Growth in Electrified Vehicles
The electric vehicle market benefited from the rising demand for sustainable mobility solutions. In January, the number of newly registered battery electric vehicles (BEVs) increased by 53%, with an even stronger 68% rise in the fleet segment. Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) also saw growth, with the overall market increasing by 23%. The private customer segment grew by 36%, outpacing the fleet sector (+22%).
The market share of BEVs reached 16.6% (January 2024: 13.6%), while PHEVs rose to 8.5% (previous year: 6.8%). The fleet market played a major role in driving electrification: BEVs and PHEVs together accounted for 34.2% of the market share—the highest level since September 2023, when the BEV purchase incentives were discontinued. Meanwhile, registrations of gasoline vehicles dropped by 11%, and diesel cars by 16%.
New CO₂ Regulations Lower Fleet Emissions
With the new year came new CO₂ limits of 93.6 g/km. According to the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), the average CO₂ emissions of the newly registered vehicle fleet fell to 113.6 g/km—a significant reduction from the 126 g/km recorded the previous year, though still above the target.
German car manufacturers face structural change: the demand for electrified vehicles is growing, while conventional powertrains are losing market share. The coming months will reveal whether this trend continues and how automakers will adapt to the evolving market conditions.
