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Sales of electric cars rose by almost 47 percent in May

Photo: Robert Poorten / IMAGO

Car sales in Germany are gaining momentum thanks to the better supply of parts and high order backlogs. According to data from the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), around 247,000 new cars rolled onto the roads in May, 19.2 percent more than a year ago. New commercial registrations rose particularly strongly (+28.7 percent), while the increase in private buyers was significantly lower (+2.7 percent).

The reason for the sharp increase in new registrations is the comfortable order backlog that had accumulated during the shortage of supplier parts such as chips at carmakers last year. New orders, on the other hand, are rare, according to industry figures.

Despite a significant increase in sales figures, the electric car still has a difficult time with German car buyers compared to combustion engines. According to the KBA, almost 47 percent more purely battery-electric cars were registered in May than in the same month last year. This results in a market share of around 17 percent. Gasoline and diesel-powered cars accounted for around 53 percent. The remainder is largely accounted for by vehicles with hybrid drives. A total of 1.1 million new cars have been on the roads since the beginning of the year, an increase of ten percent.

"Despite the high growth rates for electric cars, we must continue to state that the vast majority of new car buyers are turning to combustion engines," commented Peter Fuß, car expert at the consulting firm EY. There is currently no sign of a real trend reversal towards electric cars. According to the KBA, sales of gasoline cars increased by almost 18 percent, while diesel cars rose by four percent.

According to the figures, urban off-road vehicles (SUVs) continued to boom: they grew by 27 percent year-on-year and were the strongest segment with a share of just under 30 percent.

jso/Reuters/dpa