In 2023, only 1.3 % of households with a monthly net household income below €2 600 owned at least one electric vehicle (EV) or plug‑in hybrid. The share climbed to 3.5 % for households earning between €2 600 and €3 600, and to 5.4 % for those earning between €3 600 and €5 000. Among households with a monthly income of €5 000 or more, 13.4 % owned at least one such vehicle. Overall, 6.0 % of private households in Germany owned at least one EV or plug‑in hybrid in 2023, while 80 % of households owned at least one car of any type.
Family composition affected ownership rates. Couples with children under 18 had a higher share of EVs: 11.5 % of couple households with children owned at least one, compared with 7.5 % of couple households without children. By number of children, the figures were 10.6 % for one child, 12.6 % for two children, and 10.7 % for three or more children. Single‑person households were the least likely to own these vehicles, with only 2.2 % reporting an EV or plug‑in hybrid.
Within households that owned at least one EV or plug‑in hybrid, most vehicles were new or leased. Forty‑eight ½ % had at least one newly purchased vehicle, 45.2 % had at least one leased vehicle, and 15.2 % owned a used EV or plug‑in hybrid.
In 2025, the proportion of all new car registrations that were fully electric or plug‑in hybrids rose to 30 %, according to the Kraftfahrt‑Bundesamt. The previous year saw a 20.3 % share. A total of roughly 856 500 electric cars were registered in 2025, including about 545 100 battery‑electric vehicles (BEVs). BEVs made up 19.1 % of all new car registrations in 2025, up from 13.5 % in 2024.
To support widespread electric driving, a comprehensive charging network is essential. As of 1 January 2025, Germany had around 160 000 public charging points, including roughly 36 000 fast chargers. Regional variation exists: Bavaria and Baden‑Württemberg, as well as North Sea coast counties, have relatively many stations, while eastern states such as Mecklenburg‑West Pomerania, Saxony‑Anhalt, Saxony, and Thuringia have fewer. On average, the nearest publicly accessible charging station is a seven‑minute drive away from any location. In dense urban areas the distance often reduces to 2-5 minutes, but in sparsely populated regions it can reach up to 30 minutes, according to Destatis.
