In May, the market for alternative powertrains (all-electric, plug-in and non-plug-in hybrids, and natural gas vehicles) grew by 15.3 percent to 157,076 units, with international brands accounting for approximately 44.9 percent of the total. 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 rose to 65.6 percent in May, compared to 56.9 percent in May 2025. In the first five months of 2026, 764,379 passenger cars with alternative powertrains were newly registered, an increase of approximately 18.2 percent compared to the same period last year.
VDIK President Imelda Labbé: “The fact that alternative powertrains account for two-thirds of all new registrations clearly shows that customers support the transition to new powertrains. About a quarter of all new car buyers are already opting for a battery-electric vehicle, and the trend is rising. Hybrid vehicles remain particularly appealing to customers who do not yet have access to a charging infrastructure suitable for everyday use in their local areas. To meet this demand, international automakers offer attractive and affordable vehicles across all powertrain segments.”
New registrations of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) rose by 39.3 percent in May to 59,969 units. The share of BEVs in total new passenger car registrations thus reached 25.0 percent. This is approximately 7.0 percentage points higher than in the same month last year, although it is slightly below the market share of the previous month by -0.8 percentage points. International manufacturers saw BEV registrations rise by 60.7 percent to 27,938 vehicles in May. As a result, the BEV market share of international manufacturers in the first five months stood at 44.0 percent, which is 4.0 percentage points higher than in the same period of 2025. The total market share of BEV passenger cars since January 2026 has so far amounted to 23.9 percent.
New registrations of plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) also posted double-digit growth rates again in May. A total of 27,921 new PHEVs hit the roads, representing a 10.9 percent increase over the same month last year. This accounted for 11.7 percent of all new passenger car registrations, about 1.1 percentage points higher than in May 2025. The market share of international automakers in the plug-in hybrid segment stood at 46.2 percent in May. After five months, the PHEV market has a total market share of 11.1 percent in the current year.
Together, electric vehicles (BEVs, plug-in hybrids, and fuel cell vehicles) accounted for a market share of 36.7 percent in May, with 87,890 new registrations. This represents a 28.8 percent increase compared to the same month last year. In the first five months of 2026, the electric vehicle market saw 415,538 new registrations, representing a 32.0 percent increase.
New registrations of non-plug-in hybrid vehicles rose only moderately in May, by 0.8 percent. 67,545 new registrations represent a 28.2 percent share of new passenger car registrations. The market share of international automakers in the hybrid segment stood at 41.7 percent in May 2026. Since the beginning of the year, approximately 5.4 percent more non-plug-in hybrid vehicles have been newly registered than in the same period last year.
In addition, 1,641 new LPG-powered passenger cars (+61.7 percent) hit the road in May. Since the beginning of the year, new registrations of LPG-powered passenger cars have totaled 4,523 units (-7.7 percent).
New registrations of pure combustion-engine passenger cars reached 82,353 units in May, of which 51,806 were gasoline-powered (-23.7 percent) and 30,547 were diesel-powered (-13.0 percent). Gasoline-powered cars accounted for 21.6 percent of passenger car registrations, while diesel cars accounted for 12.8 percent.
| May | January-May | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| +/- (%) | Share of total car market (%) | Share of international brands (%) | +/- (%) | Share of total car market (%) | Share of international brands (%) | |||
| BEV | 59.969 | 39,3 | 25,0 | 46,6 | 283.949 | 40,9 | 23,9 | 44,0 |
| PHEV | 27.921 | 10,9 | 11,7 | 46,2 | 131.581 | 16,1 | 11,1 | 40,1 |
| FCEV | 0 | -100,0 | 0,0 | – | 8 | -66,7 | 0,0 | 100,0 |
| Electric Vehicles (total) | 87.890 | 28,8 | 36,7 | 46,5 | 415.538 | 32,0 | 35,0 | 42,8 |
| HEV including: | 67.545 | 0,8 | 28,2 | 41,7 | 344.318 | 5,4 | 29,0 | 43,7 |
| full-hybrid | 9.508 | -12,6 | 4,0 | 87,5 | 59.357 | 21,1 | 5,0 | 88,8 |
| mild-hybrid | 58.037 | 3,4 | 24,2 | 34,1 | 284.961 | 2,6 | 24,0 | 34,3 |
| CNG | 0 | 0,0 | 0,0 | – | 0 | -100,0 | 0,0 | – |
| LPG | 1.641 | 61,7 | 0,7 | 99,5 | 4.523 | -7,7 | 0,4 | 99,3 |
| Alternative Drivetrains (total) | 157.076 | 15,3 | 65,6 | 44,9 | 764.379 | 18,2 | 64,3 | 43,5 |
| Petrol | 51.806 | -23,7 | 21,6 | 42,4 | 264.284 | -18,5 | 22,2 | 44,2 |
| Diesel | 30.547 | -13,0 | 12,8 | 159.295 | -9,3 | 13,4 | ||
| Passenger cars (total) | 239.448 | 0,1 | 44,1 | 1.188.015 | 3,6 | 43,8 | ||
Electric vehicles: BEV, PHEV und FCEV
BEV, Batterieelektrisches Fahrzeug, engl: Battery Electric Vehicle
PHEV, Plug-In-Hybrid, engl: Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle
FCEV, Brennstoffzellenfahrzeug / Wasserstofffahrzeug, engl.: Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle
Hybride, Hybrid ohne Stecker bzw. nicht aufladbar, engl.: Hybrid Electric Vehicle
CNG, Gasförmiges Erdgas, engl: Compressed Natural Gas
LPG, Flüssiggas bzw. Autogas, engl: Liquified Petroleum Gas
Models with a maximum e-motor output of 20 KW are classified as mild hybrids, while full hybrids have a maximum e-motor output of more than 20 KW.
