According to media reports, new car sales in Germany have also increased by three working days in April this year compared to the same period last year. However, consumer demand for electric vehicles has declined further after government subsidies were phased out.
Germany, Europe's largest economy, saw 243,102 new car registrations in April, up nearly 20% compared to the same period last year, according to the country's Federal Transport Administration (KBA). However, Ernst & Young analyst Constantin Gall said that after adjusting for calendar fluctuations, German new car sales increased by only 3% in April.
Sales of petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrids in Germany all increased last month, but consumer demand for battery electric vehicles remained sluggish.
Following the government's decision to remove purchase incentives at the end of last year, the country's electric vehicle registrations fell 0.2% year-on-year in April, with fewer than 30,000 units sold.
Gall said that despite the release of new models and the offer of discounts to consumers, the market share of pure electric vehicles in Germany fell to 12.2% in April, compared with nearly 15% in the same period last year. He also added that there are few signs of an imminent recovery in EV sales.
"The EV market won't change much this year. Many potential buyers are not yet sure and are waiting to make a purchase decision, or to choose an internal combustion engine car again. Gill said.
Although the growth of electric vehicle sales has slowed, the German government has said it aims to have at least 15 million battery electric vehicles in the country by 2030.
