Electric vehicles accounted for 32.4 percent in August
In August, 68,930 new electric cars were registered, 75.1 percent more than the previous year. Their market share rose to 32.4 percent, while gasoline and diesel vehicles suffered significant losses.
The German automobile market grew slightly in August 2026, with pure electric cars recording a much higher number of new registrations. According to the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), a total of 212,563 new passenger cars were put on the road—2.6 percent more than in August of the previous year. Thus, new car registrations for the first eight months of the year were 4.8 percent higher than in the corresponding period last year.
The market for battery electric vehicles grew particularly strongly. In August, 68,930 pure electric cars were newly registered, representing a 75.1 percent increase compared to the same month last year. As a result, electric cars accounted for 32.4 percent of all new passenger car registrations.
This meant that in the reporting month, nearly one out of every three newly registered passenger cars was a pure electric car. The figures also show how significantly the distribution among different propulsion types has shifted. While electric cars saw substantial growth, registrations for gasoline and diesel vehicles declined significantly.
35,536 new registrations were for gasoline vehicles. This represented a 37.9 percent decrease compared to the previous year, with their market share falling to 16.7 percent. The KBA recorded 22,516 new registrations for diesel cars, marking a 17.3 percent decline, and this type of vehicle accounted for 10.6 percent of the market.
An additional 971 new cars were equipped with liquefied gas engines. This accounted for a 0.5 percent market share, representing a 22.1 percent increase. No new registrations were reported for natural gas vehicles or cars powered by hydrogen or fuel cells in August.
Hybrids remain the largest vehicle category
With 84,603 vehicles, hybrid-powered cars continued to be the largest group in terms of numbers. They held a 39.8 percent market share, an increase of 2.5 percent from August 2025.
This group included 25,406 plug-in hybrids. They accounted for 12.0 percent of all new passenger car registrations, which was 6.0 percent higher than the figure for the previous month. Pure electric vehicles thus grew much faster than plug-in hybrids and the hybrid category as a whole.
The distribution by owner group also changed. Private buyers purchased 16.9 percent more new cars than in the previous month, with their share of the total market rising to 40.5 percent. In contrast, new car registrations by commercial owners declined by 5.3 percent, but they still accounted for the majority at 59.4 percent.
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BYD grows strongly while Volkswagen and Audi decline
Among German brands, Smart recorded the highest percentage growth in August at 18.9 percent. However, its volume remained relatively small due to a market share of only 0.2 percent. Mercedes saw an increase in new registrations of 8.0 percent, reaching a market share of 9.7 percent. BMW achieved a market share of 8.9 percent after growing by 2.0 percent.
Among imported brands, BYD’s performance stood out particularly. The Chinese manufacturer introduced 5,256 new passenger cars onto the roads, exceeding last year’s figure by 371.8 percent. Its market share was 2.5 percent. However, the overall figures do not reveal how BYD’s registrations were distributed across specific models or powertrain variants.
Skoda was the strongest imported brand with 15,526 vehicles and a 7.3 percent market share. New registrations increased by 7.3 percent. Seat followed with 11,189 units and a 5.3 percent market share, but it experienced a 12.1 percent decline. Kia, Renault, Peugeot, Citroën, and Fiat also saw growth. In contrast, Hyundai, Toyota, and Dacia fell short of their figures from August 2025.
SUVs continue to dominate vehicle segments
SUVs once again accounted for by far the largest vehicle segment. They made up 37.6 percent of all new car registrations and saw a 12.0 percent increase compared to the previous month. Followed by compact cars with a share of 14.5 percent, whose new registrations rose by 11.8 percent.
The compact class had a share of 11.8 percent but experienced an 18.9 percent decline. The smallest percentage increase among the segments was seen in minivans at 24.6 percent. However, their market share remained modest at 3.0 percent. Both the mid-size and upper mid-size classes also recorded double-digit growth rates.
The luxury segment, sports cars, motorhomes, large vans, and SUVs all showed declines. Mini-vans and utility vehicles also fell short of last year’s monthly figures. Outside the passenger car market, motorcycle registrations rose by 27.3 percent, while truck and bus registrations declined.
In total, 261,546 vehicles were first registered for road use in August, 3.5 percent more than a year earlier. Additionally, 18,522 new vehicle trailers were registered. In the used car market, 595,335 vehicles and 36,631 trailers changed owners, both slightly fewer than in the previous month.