Automotive News Europe — 2023-09-06
Automotive Industry
German new-car sales rose 37% in August to 273,417, boosted by demand for EVs, which jumped 171%.
Electric vehicle registrations were helped by the impending end of incentives for business buyers on Sept. 1. Tesla had offered additional discounts for company cars registered by that date.
Smart, Jeep, MG and Suzuki saw the biggest rises among mass-market brands.
Battery-electric car registrations rose to 86,649 in Germany in August, according to data from the German motor transport authority (KBA).
The Smart brand showed the highest growth, with sales up 2,167%. Jeep’s volume grew by 225%. MG sales were up 176%.
Among other brands, Suzuki’s registrations rose 174%, Seat by 85%, Fiat by 71%, Renault by 69%, Kia by 49%, Mini by 43%, Opel by 39%, BMW by 32%, Mercedes-Benz by 26%, Audi by 22% and VW, by 21%.
VW brand remained Germany's top-selling brand with a 18.3% market share.
Chinese newcomers too continued to make inroads into Europe’s No. 1 market, with BYD's registrations at 2,034 for the month. Great Wall Motor sold 2,211 cars, while Nio sold 411 vehicles.
Losers
DS was among August's sales losers with registrations down 25%. Land Rover was down 10% and Jaguar's volume dropped by 2%.
Sales of gasoline cars increased 8.9% for a 27.6% market share. Diesel sales rose 9.2% for a 14.5% share.
Plug-in hybrid registrations fell by 41%.
Through August, the German market is up 17% to 1.91m.