The German Motor Dealers Association (ZDK) predicts that roughly 817,000 new battery electric vehicles (BEVs) will be on German roads in 2026. This projection is 109,000 higher than the association’s earlier estimates and represents a 50% increase compared to the 2025 figures, according to the newspaper “Welt am Sonntag”.
ZDK chief Thomas Peckruhn told the paper that the electric car market is accelerating more rapidly than anticipated, noting particularly strong growth in private purchases. Based on a survey of its members, the ZDK expects over 370,000 private new EV registrations, which is double the figure from the previous year, a growth that is coming at the expense of sales of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
One factor cited by the ZDK is the federal government’s EV premium (subsidy). Peckruhn warned politicians about the need for reliability given these high registration numbers. He stressed that the subsidy should not lapse months before the targeted completion date simply because the three-billion-euro budget is running out, cautioning against a “sprint” for the final incentives. He emphasized that providing early information is critical.
The association chief furthermore demanded that the government provide clarity on the continuity of the subsidy by late 2027 at the latest. However, according to the ZDK survey, the dealers themselves do not cite a lack of funding as the biggest hindrance to increased electromobility; instead, they point to high electricity prices in Germany. Concerns regarding the availability of charging infrastructure follow this as the next major obstacle.
