E-Cars in Germany Continue to Surge – but the Gap Between Federal States Remains Large

Front-Runners in the West and North

The top spot currently goes to Rhineland-Palatinate with just under 30 percent, ahead of Schleswig-Holstein with a good 29 percent BEV share of new registrations. In Rhineland-Palatinate and Schleswig-Holstein, electric cars are currently particularly popular. In no other federal state was their share of new registrations in the first half of the year as high as in the West and North.

According to the KBA figures, Baden-Württemberg once again ranked among the federal states with the highest share of electric cars. Overall, around 58,000 pure electric cars were newly registered in Baden-Württemberg from January to June. This means Baden-Württemberg continues to rank among the front-runners nationwide.

Baden-Württemberg Among the Top States

When plug-in hybrids are included, Baden-Württemberg ranked first nationwide according to KBA data. In 2025, the value had still been below 35 percent. In the previous year, it had been around seven percent less.

Following behind are Bremen, Lower Saxony, and North Rhine-Westphalia with values around 27 percent, while Berlin comes in at just under 26 percent BEV share of new registrations. Only in Rhineland-Palatinate and Schleswig-Holstein were there even more new registrations of electric cars.

The Lower End of the Table

At the lower end of the scale are Saarland, Brandenburg, and Bavaria with around 24 percent – already below the national average. Saxony-Anhalt at a good 18 percent, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Thuringia at 20 percent BEV share. Hamburg at 16 percent. Nationwide, around a quarter of all new registrations were attributable to pure electric cars.

The fewest new electric car registrations were recorded in Hamburg and Saxony-Anhalt. In Hamburg and Saxony-Anhalt, they had recently been more of a slow mover. Nationwide, however, the range extends from just under one-sixth to just under one-third.

Reasons for the Upswing

In the full year 2025, the BEV share of new passenger car registrations was only 19.1 percent. In the full year 2025, the ranking had looked somewhat different. At that time, Lower Saxony led ahead of Schleswig-Holstein and Baden-Württemberg. The laggards were Thuringia, Saxony, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

In addition to the improved range of models, the new federal subsidy and high prices for petrol and diesel also contribute to this. The high petrol prices are accelerating the trend toward electric cars. Reasons include, among others, an improved range of models, the new federal subsidy, and high prices for petrol and diesel.

In Germany, demand is rising significantly, as the current registration figures also show. The development fits into a trend that responds not only to technical improvements but also to political framework conditions and economic circumstances.

While some western and northern federal states are clearly ahead in electromobility, the city-states and parts of eastern Germany in particular remain behind the national average. The gap between the regions is likely to continue shaping the debate on charging infrastructure, subsidy conditions, and location policy.

For the coming months, it remains to be seen whether the nationwide upward trend will continue and whether the laggards in the ranking can catch up. The development in registration figures is considered an important indicator for the transformation of the automotive industry in Germany.