Posted on 26 Nov 2025
Germany’s electric vehicle growth is “artificially” driven by dealers and manufacturers self-registering their vehicles and not by actual customer demand, says the German Association of Motor Vehicle Trades (ZDK).
“Almost one in four newly registered cars in October was a self-registration – that’s a clear warning sign,” notes ZDK president Thomas Peckruhn. “This shows that the market’s growth is currently not driven by genuine customer demand, but primarily by artificial incentives from manufacturers and dealers.”
In the first 10 months of this year, registrations of battery electric passenger cars (BEVs) in Germany climbed by 39.4% year-on-year to 434,627 units, per data from the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA).
Citing the same data, ZDK says BEV self-registrations by manufacturers and dealers increased by 51% y-o-y during the 10 months to 102,520 vehicles, Kallanish reports. In the same period, however, the number of new private BEV registrations dropped by 7%.
The association argues the country’s BEV growth rates are “significantly overstated,” adding that self-registrations help manufacturers and dealers meet their targets, particularly the European CO2 targets.
“Whether looking at the overall market or electric vehicles specifically, the figures clearly show that manufacturers are currently bearing a significant portion of the sales burden themselves,” Peckruhn adds. “Private and commercial demand remains very subdued and is not developing nearly as dynamically as would be necessary for a stable market.”
The EU currently targets phasing out new internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035. However, auto bodies have been lobbying Brussels to relax the targets, citing the slower-than-expected EV adoption.
Earlier this month, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) called on the EU for “a smarter, more realistic approach” for its post-2035 regime for cars and vans, warning the current 2030 and 2035 CO2 targets are “no longer achievable.” It also stressed the need to support all viable drivetrain options, as a sole focus on 100% BEVs “risks undermining Europe’s industrial competitiveness and strategic autonomy.”
Data released by ACEA on Tuesday shows Germany led the EU new electric vehicle market in October, with registrations rising across all three electric powertrains (see related story).
Source:Kallanish
