Alternative powertrains account for two-thirds of the market share

In the first half of 2026, the market for alternative powertrains (all-electric, plug-in and non-plug-in hybrids, and gas-powered vehicles) grew by 21.7 percent to 966,085 vehicles, with international brands accounting for approximately 44.0 percent. This is according to an analysis of figures from the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) conducted by the Association of International Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (VDIK). The share of new registrations with alternative powertrains in the overall market stood at 65.1 percent during this period, about 8.5 percentage points higher than in the same period the previous year. In June 2026, 201,706 passenger cars with alternative powertrains were newly registered, an increase of about 36.8 percent compared to the same month the previous year.

New registrations of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) reached 368,006 units in the first six months of 2026, accounting for approximately 24.8 percent of the total passenger car market—an increase of 7.1 percentage points compared to the same period in 2025. In June, the third-highest BEV market share on record—and by far the highest since the end of the commercial electric vehicle purchase incentive program in August 2023—was recorded: Approximately 28.4 percent of all new passenger car registrations last month were battery-electric vehicles. New BEV registrations in the first half of 2026 were up about 48.0 percent from the previous year’s level, while those from international brands rose by as much as 62.1 percent. In the BEV market, international brands thus held a market share of 44.6 percent; in June, this figure reached as high as 46.9 percent. In June 2026, a total of 84,057 new BEV passenger cars were registered, 78.2 percent more than in the same month of the previous year.

New registrations of plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) also posted double-digit growth rates in the first half of the year. 163,793 PHEVs were newly registered during this period, representing a 17.9 percent increase over the first six months of 2025. This represented 11.0 percent of all new passenger car registrations, about 1.1 percentage points higher than in the same period last year. The PHEV market share of international brands stood at approximately 40.7 percent during this period. In June, 32,212 new PHEV passenger cars were registered (+25.8 percent), giving them a market share of 10.9 percent.

Taken together, electric vehicles (BEVs, plug-in hybrids, and fuel cell vehicles) accounted for a market share of 35.8 percent in the first half of 2026, with 531,808 new registrations. This represents a 37.2 percent increase compared to the same period the previous year. In June 2026, the electric vehicle market saw 116,270 new registrations, representing a 59.7 percent increase.

New registrations of non-plug-in hybrid vehicles rose by 6.9 percent in the first six months of 2026. The 427,633 new registrations accounted for 28.8 percent of all new passenger car registrations. The market share of international automakers in the hybrid segment stood at 43.8 percent during this period. In June, new registrations of non-plug-in hybrid vehicles were up by about 13.6 percent compared with the same month a year earlier.

In addition, 6,644 new LPG-powered passenger cars (+6.4 percent) hit the road in the first half of 2026. In June, new registrations of LPG-powered passenger cars totaled 2,121 units (+57.6 percent).

New registrations of gasoline- and diesel-only passenger cars reached 518,237 units in the first six months of 2026, of which 325,080 were gasoline-powered (-18.2 percent) and 193,157 were diesel-powered (-8.6 percent). Gasoline-powered vehicles accounted for 21.9 percent of passenger car registrations, while diesel vehicles accounted for 13.0 percent.