No turnaround in e-car registrations

Commercial registrations of electric cars are not likely to pick up again until 2025, predicts the ADAC. At least there are positive trends on the used car market.

In July 2024, 30,762 pure electric vehicles were registered in Germany (12.9 per cent of all newly registered vehicles). Compared to the previous month, this represents a decrease of almost 13,000 vehicles or around 29 per cent (June 2024: 43,412 registrations) and a year-on-year decrease of 36.8 per cent.

The trend reversal hoped for after the significant increase in registration figures in June (up 46 per cent compared to May 2024) has therefore not materialised. However, the declines last month are noticeable across all drive types (238,263 registrations in total, down 19.9 per cent compared to June).

Drop in new private registrations

A closer look at the figures shows that new private e-car registrations in particular fell sharply again in July. Commercial registrations of electric cars also remain at the low level of recent months and below the previous year. While commercial registrations in 2023 represented an average of around 23,000 new vehicles, the average for 2024 so far is only around 18,000 electric cars.

Commercial customers wait and see

From the ADAC's point of view, a ramp-up of commercial fleets is essential for a solid used car market to develop. However, the mobility club does not expect a noticeable increase in the coming months: many commercial customers are likely to wait until the end of the German government's legislative process on the announced growth initiative, which is expected to last until December and will include special depreciation allowances for new, commercially registered electric vehicles and changes to company car taxation.

Irrespective of this, the used car market is already showing positive trends. With 16,756 new registrations of ownership (2.8 per cent), more battery electric vehicles changed hands in July 2024 than ever before.