Battery-electric vehicles outsold petrol-powered models in Germany last month. Overall, German new-car registrations increased 37.7% year on year in August, with 273,417 units.
Of these, 86,649 were BEVs, up 170% compared with the same month last year. This means all-electric models claimed 31.7% of the German new-car market in August. However, this success is likely thanks to the winding down of BEV incentives, which helped inflate registration rates.
The latest figures from the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA) reveal the chasm between the different powertrains. Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) took a particularly large year-on-year fall of 41.1%, down to 14,552 units.
Petrol, which has dominated the marketplace in recent years, powered 27.6% of new cars taking to the roads, although the number of units increased by 8.9%. Diesel figures rose by 9.2%, with a market share of 14.5%.