- Passenger car registrations in Germany rose 3.8% year over year in February 2026, driven primarily by electrified vehicles.
- Electric and hybrid vehicles gained market share while gasoline vehicle registrations declined sharply.
Germany passenger car registrations February 2026 increased 3.8% year over year to 211,262 units, according to data released on March 4 by the Federal Motor Vehicle Office (KBA). The growth was supported mainly by strong demand for electrified vehicles and continued shifts in the powertrain mix toward hybrid and battery-electric models.
While overall market volumes improved slightly, several traditional German brands experienced declining sales. At the same time, a number of brands, including several emerging electric vehicle manufacturers, recorded strong gains.
Brand performance in February registrations
Among individual brands, the leading manufacturer remained Volkswagen, though registrations slipped slightly during the month. Several other major German brands also posted mixed results, while certain competitors recorded significant increases.
- Volkswagen: 40,174 units (down 2.1%), 19.0% market share
- Skoda: 19,034 units (up 26.5%), 9.0% share
- BMW: 17,134 units (up 0.3%), 8.1% share
- Mercedes: 16,931 units (down 9.9%), 8.0% share
- Audi: 15,519 units (down 2.3%), 7.3% share
- SEAT: 11,367 units (down 11.1%), 5.4% share
- Opel: 11,038 units (up 44.4%), 5.2% share
Electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla showed a strong rebound in the German market, with registrations increasing 59.3% to 2,276 units. Meanwhile, Japanese automaker Toyota saw registrations fall 14.3% to 4,828 units.
Growth of Chinese EV manufacturers
Chinese automakers continued expanding their presence in the German passenger vehicle market. BYD registered 3,053 vehicles, Leapmotor recorded 1,091 units, and XPeng delivered 331 units during February.
Despite their rapid growth, the combined sales of the three Chinese brands remained below the total volume achieved by Toyota alone in the same period.
Powertrain trends reshaping the market
The powertrain mix in the German automotive market continued to shift toward electrified vehicles. Hybrid models accounted for the largest share of registrations, while battery-electric vehicles also posted strong growth.
- Hybrid vehicles (HEVs): 84,838 units, up 9.2% (40.2% share)
- Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs): 24,328 units, up 24.5% (11.5% share)
- Battery-electric vehicles (EVs): 46,275 units, up 28.7% (21.9% share)
- Gasoline vehicles: 48,404 units, down 14.9% (22.9% share)
- Diesel vehicles: 31,338 units, down 2.4% (14.8% share)
- LPG vehicles: 397 units, down 48.2%
Only three fuel-cell vehicles were registered during the month, while no new registrations were recorded for natural gas or hydrogen-powered passenger vehicles.
Emissions and commercial vehicle trends
Average carbon dioxide emissions from newly registered passenger cars fell 6.5% to 102.6 g/km, reflecting the increasing share of electrified powertrains in the fleet.
In the commercial vehicle sector, truck registrations declined 5.0% year over year to 19,997 units. In contrast, bus registrations increased significantly, rising 25.1% to 549 units.
Production and export outlook
According to the German Association of the Automobile Manufacturers (VDA), domestic passenger car production in February rose slightly by 1% to 358,600 units. Passenger vehicle exports remained largely stable at 271,300 units.
During the first two months of 2026, however, production declined 4% to 664,300 units while exports fell 5% to 490,500 units, highlighting ongoing volatility in global automotive demand even as Germany passenger car registrations February 2026 showed moderate domestic market growth.
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