18:26 24-11-2025

Self-registrations surge in Germany’s EV market as values fall

Germany EV self-registrations rose 50% in two years as brands chase targets. ZDK warns of weak demand, falling residual values, pricier leases, patchy charging.

In Germany, over the first ten months of 2025, almost one in four new electric cars wasn’t sold to an end customer but registered by the manufacturer or a dealer. KBA data show that the number of such self-registrations has jumped by more than 50% in two years, and ZDK framed this as a clear warning, saying genuine market demand is absent.

ZDK president Thomas Peckruhn stresses that the EV market is being sustained by artificial sales as brands chase targets at any cost. After a few weeks, these cars return to the market as nearly new used vehicles with deep discounts. The consequence is a sharp fall in residual values: three years ago an electric car kept about 58% of its price, now it is only 48.8%. For comparison, gasoline models retain more than 63%. It’s the kind of tactic that props up volumes on paper while teaching buyers to wait for markdowns, and that habit inevitably chips away at confidence in pricing.

The rise in self-registrations reverberates across the sector: used-car prices slide, leasing rates climb as residuals shrink, and dealers are forced to book discounts at the expense of their margins. According to ZDK, the core reason for weak real demand isn’t the sticker price of the cars, but expensive electricity and the lack of charging infrastructure in apartment courtyards and residential areas. In practice, if plugging in at home is uncertain or costly, even an attractive list price can’t close the deal.

And while the lineup of more affordable BEVs is expanding, buyers remain hesitant—so the pressure on values, and on confidence, may only intensify.