Germany's EV market shifts: private buyers overtake fleets
Private EV purchases outpace corporate fleets in Germany
Germany's EV market shifts: private buyers overtake fleets
KBA data shows a shift in Germany’s EV market in September: private buyers edge past corporate as high electricity costs and TCO concerns cool fleet demand.
2025-10-27T11:52:52+03:00
2025-10-27T11:52:52+03:00
2025-10-27T11:52:52+03:00
Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) reports that September brought a notable shift in the country’s car market: for the first time in a long while, the share of electric cars bought by private individuals nudged past the corporate tally. Private buyers accounted for about 23% of EV purchases, while companies made up 22%.The pattern emerged as two parts of the market moved in opposite directions: the commercial sector saw overall sales fall by roughly 4.3%, whereas the private side advanced by 12.8%. Taken together, the figures point to demand gradually tilting away from fleet orders and toward households.Even with new tax breaks and more generous depreciation rules in place since early July, corporate appetite for electric models has cooled. Analysts point to elevated electricity prices, which push up the total outlay for owners. In practice, the incentives still struggle to outweigh energy costs, so procurement teams remain cautious.Benjamin Kibis of Dataforce emphasized that total cost of ownership remains the decisive yardstick. From that perspective, the higher all-in operating cost of an electric car is shaping business choices. As long as diesel stays cheaper than electricity on a cost basis, many companies are likely to delay the switch—spreadsheets continue to favor the status quo until the numbers change.
Germany EV market, KBA report, private EV buyers, corporate fleets, electric car demand, electricity prices, total cost of ownership, TCO, diesel vs electricity, Dataforce, fleet sales decline
2025
Michael Powers
news
Private EV purchases outpace corporate fleets in Germany
KBA data shows a shift in Germany’s EV market in September: private buyers edge past corporate as high electricity costs and TCO concerns cool fleet demand.
Michael Powers, Editor
Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) reports that September brought a notable shift in the country’s car market: for the first time in a long while, the share of electric cars bought by private individuals nudged past the corporate tally. Private buyers accounted for about 23% of EV purchases, while companies made up 22%.
The pattern emerged as two parts of the market moved in opposite directions: the commercial sector saw overall sales fall by roughly 4.3%, whereas the private side advanced by 12.8%. Taken together, the figures point to demand gradually tilting away from fleet orders and toward households.
Even with new tax breaks and more generous depreciation rules in place since early July, corporate appetite for electric models has cooled. Analysts point to elevated electricity prices, which push up the total outlay for owners. In practice, the incentives still struggle to outweigh energy costs, so procurement teams remain cautious.
Benjamin Kibis of Dataforce emphasized that total cost of ownership remains the decisive yardstick. From that perspective, the higher all-in operating cost of an electric car is shaping business choices. As long as diesel stays cheaper than electricity on a cost basis, many companies are likely to delay the switch—spreadsheets continue to favor the status quo until the numbers change.
