German automotive manufacturers have successfully expanded their market position in electric mobility across Europe over the past year, according to data released by the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) and reported by Funke-Mediengruppe newspapers. In 2025, every second battery-electric vehicle newly registered in the EU was from a German manufacturer. This means that the domestic auto industry’s market share has more than doubled since 2016. For plug-in hybrid vehicles, the German share stood at 58.6 percent in 2025.
When considering both battery-electric and hybrid vehicles together, German brands are in a stronger position in several countries than they are with conventional combustion engine models. Specifically, in the Netherlands, Italy, and France, their market share in electric and hybrid vehicles in 2025 was notably higher than their overall vehicle market share. Furthermore, in several European nations, manufacturers have recently seen a tangible increase in their market standing. In Japan, their share of partially or fully electric vehicles was more than three times higher than their overall market presence (17.5 percent compared to 4.5 percent). Similarly, in the USA (13.3 percent versus 8.1 percent) and South Korea (13.9 percent versus 12.0 percent), their niche segment share surpasses their total market share.
However, sales in China remain a significant challenge for the industry. German automakers saw a marked decrease in their already modest market shares of e-cars and hybrid vehicles in the People’s Republic from 2024 to 2025. For plug-in hybrids, German manufacturers managed only a 0.5 percent market share, while the share for purely battery-electric vehicles was 2.5 percent.
Addressing this, VDA President Hildegard Müller advocates for a nuanced view of the sector’s situation. Müller told Funke-Mediengruppe’s newspapers that arguments often fall into “black and white schemes”. She confirmed that the auto industry is restructuring itself, pursuing a path toward climate-neutral mobility through creativity and significant investment. “Our manufacturers have a higher share in e-mobility in many markets than in the general market” Müller stated.
Concurrently, she strongly appealed to politicians to make Germany a more attractive production hub once again. According to the VDA President, focusing on data and facts, rather than mere rhetoric or negative pronouncements, is necessary for key decisions regarding the nation’s competitiveness. “Germany has recently been passed over in all rankings concerning issues like tax burdens, administrative overhead, or labor costs. We are facing a massive location crisis affecting the entire German industry”.
Müller concluded by saying that the belief that politics can make better economic decisions or assess technological trends than companies-who have done so successfully for decades-has “failed”. She emphasized that the time has come to initiate a decisive and comprehensive course correction.
