The business climate in Germany’s automotive industry improved again in February.
The Ifo indicator measured by the Munich Ifo Institute rose to -15.6 points, up from -19.1 in January.
Companies judged their current situation more positively than the month before, although their outlook for the upcoming months eased slightly. “Demand from the EU-particularly for electric vehicles-continues to sustain the German auto industry” said Ifo industry specialist Anita Wölfl.
Order books are again filling up more steadily, and firms expect better overseas sales in the coming months. Export expectations climbed to 10.8 points, up from 8.5 in January. The growing popularity of electric cars appears to be the key driver.
“The number of fully electric passenger cars (BEV) registered in Germany surpassed two million for the first time on 1 January 2026” Wölfl noted, citing the latest inventory count from the Federal Motor Transport Authority.
According to foreign‑trade statistics, the German auto industry generated more than €40 billion from worldwide exports of electric cars in 2025-a 6.5 percent increase over 2024. Over half of those exports went to other EU countries, led by the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Denmark.
