Electromobility as a stabilizing factor
Business climate in the automotive industry improves slightly
The business climate index in the German automotive industry improved slightly in December 2025. The balance rose to minus 19.8 points, after minus 20.2* points in November. Although the negative sentiment is thus continuing, it has brightened moderately. While companies assess their current business situation as worse than before, they are less pessimistic about the coming months.
The development of electromobility is cited as a key positive factor. "The development of electromobility is a ray of hope," says ifo industry expert Anita Wölfl.
According to data from the Federal Motor Transport Authority, almost 55,000 battery electric vehicles (BEV) were newly registered in Germany in December 2025. This means that pure electric vehicles accounted for more than 22% of all new car registrations. On average for 2025, BEVs reached a new high with a share of 19%. There was also almost continuous growth in new BEV registrations throughout the year.
In contrast, new registrations of petrol and diesel cars fell steadily over the course of the year compared to the same month in the previous year. This opposing trend underlines the structural change within the German automotive market. "Electromobility seems to have arrived in Germany," says Wölfl.
* seasonally adjusted
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