The German automotive market gained significant traction in the first quarter. A total of 699,404 new vehicles were sold from January to March, representing a 5.2 percent increase compared to the same period last year. In March alone, sales surged by 16 percent to nearly 300,000 units, according to data released Tuesday by the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA). This marked the strongest sales month since June 2024.

Demand for electric vehicles (EVs) saw a substantial uptick compared to a year ago. In March alone, EV sales jumped by two-thirds. Their share of total new registrations rose to 24 percent in March, up 7.2 percentage points year-on-year and 2.1 percentage points from February. When including plug-in hybrids, more than one in three new cars in Germany now features an electric powertrain. Conversely, demand for pure internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles has cooled, with both diesel and gasoline models recording declines.

Among manufacturers, Tesla achieved a significant leap: the U.S. electric carmaker sold more than 9,000 vehicles in Germany in March alone, approximately four times its volume from a year ago. Its market share improved to over 3 percent, comfortably ahead of Chinese rival BYD, which held just 1.2 percent. Opel also posted a sharp 43 percent increase in sales. BMW and Audi saw volumes rise by 16.5 percent and 25 percent respectively, while Mercedes-Benz grew its sales by 7.5 percent. Market leader Volkswagen lagged behind with a modest 3.2 percent increase in March. Porsche faced a tougher environment, with the Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer reporting a 12.1 percent decline in new car sales compared to the previous year.

(Reporting by Christina Amann, edited by Ralf Banser. For inquiries, please contact our editorial team at Berlin.Newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for politics and economics) or Frankfurt.Newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for corporate and markets)