The share of electric cars in Germany is growing, but the pace is too slow to bring traffic to climate‑neutral status quickly. This conclusion comes from a study by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) that analysed data from the Federal Motor Transport Authority and the Federal Network Agency on e‑mobility, as reported by the Funke Media Group newspapers (Wednesday editions).
According to the analysis, the proportion of new registrations of pure battery‑electric vehicles in 2025 has recovered from the downturn in 2024, reaching 19.1 %. It is, however, only marginally higher than the 17.7 % recorded in 2022 and the 18.4 % in 2023.
“Something is happening, but it’s too slow” said DIW researcher Wolf‑Peter Schill to the Funke newspapers. “There is a lot of potential for faster growth, but we must not become complacent”.
The slower-than‑expected growth in recent years stems partly from a lack of political clarity. The coalition government’s earlier target of 15 million electric cars by 2030 is no longer attainable. “However, there is no reason to abandon the goal of banning internal‑combustion vehicles in 2035” Schill said. “The market and infrastructure will certainly push in that direction here”.
The DIW study also shows that the ratio of charging points to electric cars has improved in recent years. “Especially at fast‑charging stations, a spot is almost always available; the infrastructure is not over‑utilised”. Nevertheless, criticism of the charging infrastructure remains largely in the realm of “Sunday talk”.
There is movement in freight transport as well: nine percent of newly registered trucks were pure battery‑electric in 2025. Even among tractor‑trailers, which are primarily used in heavy‑haul traffic, battery‑driven units accounted for three percent of new vehicles. However, the fleet in both categories is still almost entirely dominated by internal‑combustion engines. Pure electric cars also make up only four percent of the passenger‑car fleet.
