Germany’s EV registrations jump to record in first half of 2025

Registrations of electric vehicles (EVs) in Germany reached an all-time high in the first half of the year, according to the energy industry association BDEW's mobility report. Almost 249,000 new EVs were registered, a 35 percent increase compared to the first half of 2024, and exceeding the previous record from 2023 by 13 percent.

“Electric mobility is gaining new momentum,” said BDEW head Kerstin Andreae, who called on the government to build on this growth and make EVs more attractive to private consumers. “To continue our international success, we need a strong domestic market for electric mobility.”

The number of public chargers increased by almost 20,000 to 184,000 between January and June, BDEW said. Charging an EV is cheaper than refuelling a combustion engine car in four out of five common scenarios, the report found. This included charging at home (averaging 884 euros per year, compared to 1,258 euros for diesel or 1,306 euros for petrol) and standard public charging (967 euros per year).

Germany’s government plans a “car summit” with representatives from the carmakers to discuss the automotive industry's worries, including the shift to EVs, US tariffs, and strengthening competition from China. Car companies Bosh and Ford earlier this week said they would cut jobs in Germany, while Volkswagen and Porsche have also said they are reducing staff and output, highlighting the mounting strains in the country’s biggest industrial sector.

At last week's IAA car show in Munich, German carmakers unveiled promising electric models. But at the same time, the industry pushes for weakening EU emission rules, and reversing the bloc's 2035 combustion engine phaseout, in the hope that the lucrative sale of conventional cars can continue.