Car industry German car manufacturers defend top position in Europe
German car manufacturers more than defended their market share in Europe last year.
27.01.2026, 10:44
SDA
Together, the VW, BMW and Mercedes groups achieved a market share of 39.9 percent, according to figures from the European manufacturers' association Acea. This was 1.2 percentage points more than a year ago. VW in particular significantly increased its market share. BMW also increased, while Mercedes remained stable.
Overall, car sales in the EU increased by 1.8% to 10.8 million vehicles in 2025. This is the highest figure this decade - although it is still well below the pre-corona level of 13 million cars in 2019, as an analysis by the consulting firm EY shows. At that time, the market share of German companies was even 2.8 percentage points lower than in 2025 at 37.1%.
The share of fully electric cars rose significantly from 13.6% to 17.4%. In contrast, the share of petrol-only cars fell significantly from 33.3% to 26.6%. Hybrids now have the highest share of the market, which - not counting plug-in hybrids - accounted for 34.5 percent - 3.6 points more than a year ago.
Tesla also loses significantly across Europe
A look at the competition from German companies reveals a mixed picture. Tesla's slump in Germany is also evident across Europe - from 2.3 to 1.4 percent market share. The Stellantis Group, which includes Renault, Opel and Fiat, also lost from 16.4 to 15.3 percent.
In contrast, the Chinese groups SAIC and BYD were able to significantly increase their market shares: SAIC by a third, BYD was even able to more than triple its value - both at a low level, however. BYD now has a market share of 1.2 percent, SAIC 1.9 percent.
Cautious expectations for 2026
"We did see a slight recovery in the new car market last year. Overall, however, things are only moving upwards at a snail's pace," says Constantin M. Gall from EY. "The market will only recover slightly in the coming year too."
This is because the general conditions are still poor and both private customers and companies are very reluctant to buy. The economy is weakening and many people are worried about their income or jobs. "High new car prices, which are not least due to regulatory requirements, are also deterring people from buying new cars," said the EY expert.
