Volkswagen keeps lead as BMW climbs to second in German EV registrations Q2 2026

Data from Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) show that Volkswagen remained the top seller of new electric vehicles in the second quarter of 2026 with 25,600 registrations. BMW moved into second place with about 19,000 units, followed by Skoda (18,700), Tesla (16,000), Mercedes (15,700) and Audi (12,400). Analysts attribute BMW’s rise to strong discounting, while Tesla’s sales were boosted by price cuts on the Model 3 and Model Y.

Chinese manufacturers continued to expand their presence: BYD recorded roughly 6,000 EV registrations, Leapmotor about 5,000, and MG‑Roewe and XPeng together over 2,000. Overall battery‑electric vehicle (BEV) registrations in the first half of 2026 rose 48 % year‑on‑year to 368,000, pushing the BEV share of new car sales to 24.8 %. Volkswagen’s BEV share fell to 36.3 % as competitors gained ground. The Škoda Elroq model led model‑specific registrations with 20,139 units, up 114 % versus the previous year.

The German BEV market now has a 54.2 % share for domestic manufacturers, while Chinese brands are gaining market share through aggressive pricing and expanding model ranges. The shifts in rankings reflect intense price competition and the impact of Germany’s fuel‑price increase and state purchase incentives on consumer demand for electric cars.