ENERGY

Germany’s new diesels being overtaken by battery electric vehicles

As a result of high sales in anticipation of subsidy cuts, the proportion of battery electric cars that are newly registered in Germany has finally caught up to the level of registrations of diesel cars for the first time in 2022. According to information provided by the transport authority KBA, the percentage of newly registered electric vehicles powered by batteries increased by almost a third to reach 17.7 percent, while the percentage of diesel vehicles decreased by 10 percent to reach 17.8 percent.

Registrations of plug-in hybrid vehicles, which also count as electric cars according to the classification used by the government, increased from approximately 11 percent to 13.7 percent of the market share. The percentage of vehicles that were powered by gasoline dropped by about 11 percent, landing at 32.6 percent. The number of new automobiles registered in Germany decreased by almost eight percent, bringing the average CO2 production down to 109.6 grams per kilometer. This decline is mostly attributable to the rising demand for low-emission vehicles. Total registrations grew 1.1 percent to 2.65 million.

According to a report in the business daily Handelsblatt, the car industry group VDA stated that the number of electric car registrations more than quadrupled to 174,200 in December when compared to the same month a year ago. During that particular month, more than half of the vehicles that were registered were plug-in hybrids or battery electric vehicles. “This trend shows that purchases were being brought ahead,” the group stated, with a view to the expiration of government subsidies for plug-in hybrids at the end of the year, as well as a reduction of incentives for cars that are powered only by their batteries.

See also  Borkum Riffgrund 3 makes planning easier

According to a report that was published in 2022 by the consultancy PwC, Germany ranks in the middle of the pack in terms of its preparedness for electric vehicles (EVs). Germany has a relatively strong performance in the area of government incentives, and the demands of customers are continuing to rise. The calculations done by the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) found that the boom of battery electric cars could run into a significant obstacle in 2023. This is due to the fact that rising power prices and the end of state support could eat away at cost advantages that battery electric cars currently have in comparison to combustion engine vehicles.