German EV registrations hit 24.8% in first half of 2026, led by Rhineland-Palatinate at nearly 30%

National surge

Pure battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) made up 24.8% of all new passenger car registrations in Germany from January to June 2026, according to data released by the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA) on 16 July. That marks a sharp increase from the 19.1% share recorded for the full year 2025. The KBA figures show the national range spans from roughly one-sixth to nearly one-third, depending on the federal state.

Bundesweit ist der Anteil reiner Elektroautos (BEVs) an den Pkw-Neuzulassungen im ersten Halbjahr deutlich auf 24,8 Prozent gestiegen.

Several factors are driving the upturn, the reports note: an improved model offering, a new federal subsidy programme, and high petrol and diesel prices.

Regional leaders

Rhineland-Palatinate claimed the top spot with a BEV share of 29.9%, followed by Schleswig-Holstein at 29.4%. Baden-Württemberg placed third at 28.3%, translating to roughly 57,700 new electric cars registered in the southwestern state. Bremen, Lower Saxony, and North Rhine-Westphalia all recorded figures around 27%, while Berlin reached just under 26%.

When plug-in hybrids are included, Baden-Württemberg moves into first place nationally. The combined share of BEVs and plug-in hybrids there reached 41.3% in the first half of 2026, up from 34.9% in 2025.

Below the national average

Several states fell short of the 24.8% national benchmark. Bavaria registered 23.6% (roughly 76,000 vehicles), placing it 10th among the 16 states, down from 8th in 2025. Brandenburg and Saarland also hovered around 24%. Hesse recorded 21%, while Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Thuringia both reached roughly 20%. Saxony managed 19%, and Saxony-Anhalt came in at 18.5% (4,331 BEVs out of 23,442 total new registrations).

The tail end

Hamburg was the weakest market for electric cars, with a BEV share of just 15.7%. Saxony-Anhalt was the second-lowest at 18.5%. Within eastern Germany, Saxony-Anhalt also lagged behind neighbours: Brandenburg reached 23.7%, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania 20.3%, Thuringia 20.1%, and Saxony 19.0%.

In Hamburg und Sachsen-Anhalt waren sie dagegen zuletzt eher Ladenhüter.

Ranking shifts since 2025

The 2026 half-year leaderboard differs from the full-year 2025 ranking. Last year, Lower Saxony led the country, ahead of Schleswig-Holstein and Baden-Württemberg. The bottom three in 2025 were Thuringia, Saxony, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Hamburg's position at the very bottom in the first half of 2026 represents a notable change, as it was not among the three weakest states in the prior year.