Germany Passenger Car Registrations 2025: KBA Reports Growth and Powertrain Shift

On January 6, the Germany Federal Motor Vehicle Office reported that Germany Passenger Car Registrations 2025 showed a solid year-end rebound, reflecting changing consumer preferences and accelerating powertrain transformation. New passenger car registrations in December 2025 increased strongly compared to the previous year, while full-year volumes recorded modest but positive growth, underscoring market resilience despite economic and regulatory pressures.
Germany registered 246,439 new passenger cars in December 2025, marking a 9.7 percent year-on-year increase. For the full year, total passenger car registrations reached 2,857,591 units, up 1.4 percent compared with 2024. The data highlights a market increasingly driven by electrification and hybridization rather than conventional internal combustion engines.
Brand Performance in Germany Passenger Car Registrations 2025
German brands continued to dominate the market in 2025, maintaining strong shares across major segments. Volkswagen remained the clear leader, posting growth and retaining nearly one-fifth of total registrations. BMW and Skoda recorded notable gains, while Mercedes-Benz and Audi delivered more moderate increases. In contrast, Tesla experienced a sharp decline in registrations during the year.
Key brand highlights included:

• Volkswagen registrations increased to 560,796 units, capturing a 19.6 percent market share.

• Mercedes-Benz reached 260,415 units, holding a 9.1 percent share.

• BMW grew to 253,712 units, securing an 8.9 percent share.

• Skoda expanded to 226,472 units, accounting for 7.9 percent of the market.

• Audi registered 205,862 units, representing a 7.2 percent share.

• Tesla sales dropped significantly to 19,390 units, reducing its share to 0.7 percent.

Japanese and Chinese OEM Momentum
Japanese automakers delivered mixed results in Germany during 2025. Toyota and Mazda saw declines, while Nissan and Honda posted moderate growth from lower bases. Chinese manufacturers, however, emerged as the fastest-growing players, particularly in the electric vehicle segment, signaling intensifying competition in the German market.
Notable developments included:

• Toyota registrations declined to 87,578 units, excluding Lexus.

• Mazda volumes fell to 40,724 units, while Nissan rose to 31,112 units.

• Honda increased slightly to 7,269 units.

• BYD expanded rapidly to 23,306 units.

• Leapmotor recorded a sharp rise to 7,280 units.

• XPeng registrations climbed to 2,991 units.

Powertrain Trends Reshape the Market
Shifts in powertrain preferences were a defining feature of Germany Passenger Car Registrations 2025. Sales of gasoline and diesel vehicles continued to decline, while electrified options gained momentum, especially hybrids and battery electric vehicles.
In 2025:

• Gasoline vehicle registrations fell to 777,641 units, accounting for 27.2 percent of the market.

• Hybrid electric vehicles rose to 1,127,509 units, capturing a 39.5 percent share.

• Plug-in hybrids surged to 311,398 units, representing 6.8 percent of registrations.

• Battery electric vehicle sales climbed to 545,142 units, reaching a 19.1 percent share.

• Diesel registrations dropped to 395,022 units, or 13.8 percent of the market.

The share of hybrids has steadily increased over the past three years, while EV and PHEV penetration remained broadly stable, indicating gradual but sustained electrification rather than abrupt shifts.
Emissions, Commercial Vehicles, and Production Outlook
Average CO2 emissions from newly registered passenger cars declined to 105.8 g/km in 2025, an 11.7 percent reduction year on year, reflecting the growing share of electrified vehicles. In the commercial segment, truck registrations fell to 295,595 units, while bus sales rose sharply to 6,890 units.
Vehicle production and exports also showed positive signals toward the end of the year. Domestic passenger car production increased significantly in December, and exports recorded year-on-year growth. For the full year, total production exceeded 4.15 million units, while exports remained stable at just over 3.17 million units, reinforcing Germany’s role as a major automotive manufacturing hub.