Double-digit rise in passenger car production in January - new electric vehicle registrations get off to a flying start

Domestic passenger car production started the new year with growth of 13% to a volume of 340,800 units. This is the highest January figure since 2020. It should also be noted that there was one working day less compared to the previous year. However, the gap to the pre-crisis year 2019 is still 9%.

The production data by powertrain type for the previous year is now available in full. According to this data, the production of electric cars was ramped up by 7% to a record 1.35 million units in 2024. One in three passenger cars manufactured in Germany (33%) was already electrically powered. The momentum came from BEVs, whose production increased by 11% to 1.06 million units. Production of plug-in hybrids, on the other hand, fell by 6% to 0.29 million vehicles. Against the backdrop of the EU fleet regulation's interim CO2 target, we expect a further 24% increase in e-car production to 1.67 million units this year.

At +19% to 254,200 units, passenger car exports developed even better than production in January. Cars made in Germany continue to be in demand worldwide, with the export ratio rising by 4 percentage points to 75% compared to the same month last year. This underlines the great importance of foreign trade for the German automotive industry. However, deliveries from German plants abroad are still 12 percent below the pre-crisis level of 6 years ago.

Domestic orders received by German manufacturers increased for the fifth time in a row in January. At 21%, they were well above the weak level of the previous year, which was not even half as high as in pre-crisis January 2019. German manufacturers registered 11% fewer orders from abroad than a year ago.

New car registrations in January fell by 3% year-on-year to 207,600 units. This means that the gap to the pre-crisis level of January 2019 has widened to 22%. The weak demand on the German passenger car market continues - this is also due to the general economic situation, which often holds consumers back from making major investments.

The trend in new registrations of electric cars was very positive, increasing by 42% to 52,220 units. At over 25%, the share of electric vehicles in total new registrations thus reached its highest level since the abolition of the environmental bonus in December 2023. The strong momentum was primarily due to BEVs, which jumped by 54% to 34,500 units. However, plug-in hybrids were also very popular, with growth of 23% to 17,710 new registrations in January.