German car production slips in April, electric vehicle surge continues

Germany’s automotive sector saw a dip in domestic passenger car production in April, even as the electric vehicle market showed robust growth and overall order intake rose. According to the latest figures released by the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), 367,500 cars rolled off German assembly lines in April, a 7% drop compared to the same month last year, attributed partly to one fewer working day.

Despite the April slowdown, year-to-date production remained slightly above last year’s level, totalling just over 1.4 million passenger cars in the first four months of 2025, a modest 1% increase. However, output remains significantly below pre-pandemic levels, trailing 2019 figures by 13%.

Exports mirrored the production trend, with April shipments falling 8% to 276,300 vehicles. Cumulative exports for the year reached 1.1 million cars, up 1% from the same period in 2024 but still 14% below 2019’s performance.

While domestic orders declined by 4% in April, foreign demand showed strength, with international orders rising 7% year-over-year. Overall, total new orders were up 5% for the month, and 1% for the January-April period, signalling a cautious recovery in demand.

New car registrations in Germany remained stable in April at 242,700 units, essentially matching last year’s figures. However, the cumulative total of 907,300 new registrations for the first four months represents a 3% decline from 2024 and a steep 24% drop compared to 2019, underscoring the market’s struggle to return to pre-crisis levels.

In contrast to the sluggish performance of the broader market, electric vehicles (EVs) continued to charge ahead. New EV registrations in April surged by 56% to 69,870 units. Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for 45,540 of these, a 53% increase, while plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) jumped 61% to 24,320 units. So far this year, total EV registrations have reached 246,600, marking a 44% year-on-year rise, with BEVs up 43% and PHEVs climbing 47%.