Sales of passenger electric vehicles in Germany fell 13.6% year on year and 12.1% month on month to 43,900 units in April, according to the latest data released by the country’s auto industry association VDA on May 4.
The EV sales fell to the lowest level since January, but their market share rose to 24.4% in April, from 23.3% in March and 22.1%, a year ago.
New registrations of battery EVs fell 7% year on year in April, while sales of plug-in hybrids EVs declined 20% year on year during the same period.
Generally higher demand for EVs has boosted battery raw material prices. The Platts seaborne lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide assessments from S&P Global Commodity Insights surged 121.9% and 152.4%, respectively, since the start of 2022 to $75,000/mt CIF North Asia and $80,000/mt CIF North Asia on May 4.
Germany’s total new vehicle registrations fell 21.5% year on year and 15.9% month on month to 180,260 units in April.
The VDA said a lack of primary products due to supply bottlenecks in the wake of the war in Ukraine had a “dampening effect” on the industry’s production.
Total new passenger car sales for the first four months of the year fell 9% year on year to 806,200 units. The sales were down 32% compared with the corresponding pre-pandemic period in 2019, the VDA said.
EV sales volume over January-April represented about 25% of the total vehicle volume at 195,400 units, up 1% year on year.
The data showed 183,700 vehicles were exported during April, down 23% from a year ago and 8.2% from March.
The VDA said April passenger car production fell 13% year on year and 3.7% month on month to 257,600. The production in the first four months of the year declined 12% year on year to 1.1 million vehicles.
Plug-in light duty EV sales in Germany are expected to reach 771,990 units in 2022, 1.1 million units in 2025 and 1.9 million units in 2030, according to S&P Global.
— Jacqueline Holman
