In 2017, new passenger vehicle registrations in Germany increased by 2.7% to 3,441,262 cars. The total new motorized vehicle market exceeded 4 million.
New passenger car sales in Germany in 2017 exceeded 3 million vehicles for the fourth consecutive year. The total new motorized vehicle market in Germany was just over 4 million vehicles in 2017 while a further 8.3 million vehicles changed owners during the year.
The German New Motorized Vehicle Market in 2017
Total new motorized vehicle registrations (Kraftfahrzeuge) in Germany in 2017 increased by 1.8% to 4,002,101 vehicles. Although passenger cars (PKW) are by far the largest component, growth in sales of heavy commercial vehicles is a positive sign for the German economy.
According to the KBA, the composition of the total new motorized vehicle market in Germany was as follows in 2017:
| Category | 2017 | 2016 | % Change |
| Motor Cycles | 143,885 | 182,066 | -21.0 |
| Cars (PKW) | 3,441,262 | 3,351,607 | +2.7 |
| Buses | 6,697 | 6,683 | +0.2 |
| Trucks (Lorries / LKW) | 306,609 | 295,760 | +3.7 |
| Tractor Units (Zugmaschinen) | 85,414 | 78,501 | +8.8 |
| – of which Semi-Trailer (Sattelzugmachine) | 37,606 | 36,967 | +1.7 |
| Other motorized vehicles | 18,234 | 17,850 | +2.2 |
| All Motorized Vehicles (Kraftfahrzeuge zusammen) | 4,002,101 | 3,932,467 | +1.8 |
| Trailers | 306,883 | 294,369 | +4.3 |
| Source: KBA |
New Passenger Car Sales in Germany by Year
In 2017, for the fourth consecutive year, new passenger vehicle registrations in Germany exceeded 3 million cars. In 2017, Germans registered 3,441,262 new cars – an increase of 2.7% over 2016.
Although 2017 was the best year for new car sales in Germany since 2009, the market growth was not steady with many months during 2017 showing markedly lower growth than in 2016. Compared to last year, the growth in car sales in Germany was particularly strong in March, May and November but June sales, a traditionally strong month for German car sales, were weak.
New car sales per month in Germany were as follows in the past three years:
Annual new passenger vehicle registrations in Germany by year were as follows since 2007:
| Year | German Car Sales | % Change |
| 2017 | 3,441,262 | 2.7 |
| 2016 | 3,351,607 | 4.5 |
| 2015 | 3,206,042 | 5.6 |
| 2014 | 3,036,773 | 2.9 |
| 2013 | 2,952,431 | -4.2 |
| 2012 | 3,082,504 | -2.2 |
| 2011 | 3,173,634 | 9 |
| 2010 | 2,916,260 | -23.4 |
| 2009 | 3,807,175 | 23.2 |
| 2008 | 3,090,040 | -1.8 |
| 2007 | 3,148,163 | -9.2 |
New Passenger Car Registrations in Germany in 2017
The German new car market in 2017 expanded to 3,441,262 passenger vehicle (PKW) registrations. A further 7,298,282 cars changed legal owners during 2017 – a contraction of the market by 1.4%.
Petrol (Benzin) cars increased market share from 52.1% to 57.7%, while the market share of new diesel cars sold in Germany in 2017 fell from 45.9% to 38.8%.
Hybrid car sales in Germany in 2017 increased by 76.4% to 84,675 cars, including 29,436 (+114%) plug-in hybrids, for a 2.5% of the German car market.
New electric car sales in Germany in 2017 increased by 120% to a still relatively low 25,056 cars – a market share of only 0.7%
The average CO2 emissions per new car in Germany in 2017 increased to 127.9 g/km from 127.4 g/km last year. This is largely due to the sharp move away from diesel vehicles and the increasing popularity of SUV at the expense of traditional passenger cars.
The most-popular color for new cars sold in Germany in 2017 was again grey (including silver) at 28.5% followed by black (25.6%) and white (20.9%).
Nearly a quarter of the German new car market was for compact cars (e.g. VW Golf) with a 23.3% market share – down from 25.2% in 2016. Small cars (e.g. VW Polo) made up 14.5% of the market, mid-size (e.g. VW Passat) 11.9% and SUV (e.g. VW Tiguan) 15.2%. SUV sales increased by 22.5% from a year ago.
