What the study also shows is that despite these successes, the gap to the market leaders in
terms of absolute figures remains large. German OEMs sold just over 200,000 vehicles in
China in the first three quarters of this year. Tesla, on the other hand, sold almost 280,000
units of its Model Y alone on the Chinese market. The study forecasts global BEV sales
growth of 40 per cent for German manufacturers next year. Chinese car manufacturers could
grow by 30 to 32 per cent.
North-South divide in Europe
While the Chinese BEV market lost momentum in the third quarter of 2023, growth in
Germany continued unabated. Here, 59 per cent more BEVs were registered than in the
same quarter of the previous year. This gave battery-powered cars a market share of 23 per
cent - an increase of 6 percentage points compared to the same quarter of the previous
year. The BEV triumph is expected to continue in the coming year. The study forecasts an
increase of 27 per cent for the USA, 34 per cent for China and 43 per cent for the five core
European markets of Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the UK.
In Europe, a north-south divide is emerging for BEVs. In Germany, France and the UK, they
have now passed the 16 per cent market share threshold, which is considered a barrier to
entry into the mainstream market. Spain (6 per cent) and Italy (4 per cent), on the other
hand, remain in the single-digit range in terms of BEV market penetration, which jeopardises
both the respective national climate targets and those of the EU as a whole.
"Despite regional differences in speed, the transformation of the automotive industry is
continuing at a rapid pace. German manufacturers in particular have accepted the challenge
- after a period of finding their feet - and are making a comeback with bold and technically
excellent models." Felix Kuhnert, Partner and Automotive Leader at PwC Germany.
In the battle for market share, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) could also play a stronger role again,
at least in the medium term. The bridging technology celebrated a comeback in five core
markets in the third quarter of this year - and outperformed pure electric vehicles in France,
Italy, the UK, China and the USA in terms of growth rates. This development was particularly
evident in China, by far the largest e-mobility market. PHEV registrations here rose by 71 per
cent compared to the same quarter of the previous year, while BEV sales only increased by
16 per cent.
The main reason for this is the wide range on offer at attractive prices. In
Germany, PHEVs are still in a nosedive. On the one hand, this is due to the end of state
subsidies and, on the other, to a rethink among large fleets: many companies are
increasingly focussing on BEVs in order to achieve their sustainability goals.
