Decline of Polluting Vehicles on German Roads

The landscape of vehicles on German roads is becoming increasingly environmentally friendly. Recent data from the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt reveals that over 53% of the approximately 49 million registered passenger cars now meet the Euro 6 emissions standard or are fully electric, emitting no local pollutants. This marks a notable increase from 49% just a year prior.

The rise in vehicles adhering to the Euro 6 standard is largely attributed to a significant reduction in older cars that failed to meet modern emissions criteria, with around 1.7 million such vehicles removed from the market. However, the exact fates of these older models, whether they were scrapped or sold abroad, remain unclear based on the available data. Simultaneously, the number of registered electric vehicles in Germany has surged by 243,000, bringing the total to 1.65 million.

The Euro emissions standards are the most widely adopted regulations in Germany, with Euro 6, particularly in its latest iteration Euro 6e, being the most stringent. Future regulations, such as Euro 7, are expected to follow in the coming years.

While the increase in Euro 6 vehicles is encouraging, there is a concerning trend regarding the overall size and type of vehicles on the roads. Notably, the presence of smaller vehicles like compact cars and minis is declining. The compact car segment, despite still being the largest category with 11.2 million vehicles, has seen a decrease of 132,000 units. Similarly, the number of small cars has dropped by 101,000 to 8.6 million, and minis have decreased by 62,000 to 3.3 million.

In contrast, the categories of mid-size cars and vans are also experiencing a downturn. On the other hand, SUVs are witnessing a notable increase, with their numbers rising by 588,000 to 6.6 million, while off-road vehicles have increased by 112,000 to 3.3 million. Additionally, the segment of motorhomes is approaching the one million mark, having increased by 73,000 to 981,000.

The growing popularity of SUVs is evident, as they accounted for nearly one-third of new registrations in 2024, many of which were electric models. This vehicle type is particularly conducive to housing batteries due to its design, which explains their dominance in the electric vehicle segment, with 626,000 electric SUVs on the road--far surpassing any other vehicle class.

The shift in vehicle demographics raises questions about environmental impacts and urban mobility as the market evolves. As Germany continues to push for greener alternatives, the transition to cleaner vehicles appears to be gaining momentum, though the preference for larger vehicles over smaller, more efficient ones may complicate efforts to reduce overall emissions.