European car buyers registered electric battery vehicles (BEVs) at record levels in March. According to data from data service provider Dataforce for the “Handelsblatt”, new registrations of purely electric cars reached approximately 360,000 units-a significant increase of about 40 percent compared to the previous year.
This growth in the electric segment substantially surpasses the broader European car market. Overall registrations grew by around nine percent, totaling 1.7 million vehicles. This stronger performance is partly due to the steep decline in conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle registrations. Numbers for cars running on traditional engines and electric powertrains are converging, with ICE registrations falling by about 13 percent to around 470,000 units.
The trend towards electric vehicles is also visible in the used car market, where demand and sales of E-cars are rising. Christian Lindner, former Finance Minister and current sales director at car dealer Autoland, noted an increased interest in E-cars, particularly in rural areas. However, he added that customers are increasingly preferring plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), which combine both combustion and electric motors. PHEV registrations saw a notable jump of 28 percent in March.
The situation varies geographically; while rural areas show growing interest, Lindner stated that E-car sales are also increasing in major metropolitan centers. Experts suggest that the current market trajectory is shaped not only by local trends but primarily by two major factors: ongoing government subsidy programs across Europe and a continuous increase in the supply of E-vehicles.