BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Due to the reduction in incentive premiums, sales of electric cars plummeted in January. While more than 100,000 pure electric vehicles were newly registered in December 2022, only about 18,100 new ones hit the roads in January, according to the Federal Motor Transport Authority. Many consumers apparently brought forward the purchase of an electric vehicle in order to still receive the higher subsidies.

Accordingly, the consulting firm EY described the very high figures in December as a "veritable fireworks display of last-minute new registrations in this segment." "These early new car purchases are now missing, of course," the company said in an analysis on Friday.

Plug-in hybrids, which use an internal combustion engine in addition to an electric motor, have not been subsidized since the start of the year. For battery and fuel cell cars, the subsidy premiums have dropped. At most, buyers of fully electric cars can now receive 4500 euros from the state instead of 6000 if their car is listed for sale at less than 40,000 euros net. For more expensive vehicles up to a net list price of 65,000 euros, there is still 3000 euros instead of the previous 5000 euros. In 2024, the incentive premiums will fall further.

The number of newly registered plug-in Hybdride was just under 9000 in January - after almost 70 000 in December and around 54 100 in January 2022. "Especially the new registrations of E-vehicles were brought forward in December and are now missing. However, we expect the market to turn positive after this pull-forward effect expires due to improved delivery capacity," said Reinhard Zirpel, President of the Association of International Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (VDIK). "Nevertheless, the cut in e-car subsidies in 2023 is leaving a clear mark. We fear that the previous momentum is over for the time being."

Overall, just over 179,000 new cars were registered in January - 2.6 percent fewer than a year earlier. More than 314,000 new cars hit the roads in December, driven by high numbers of electric vehicles. SUVs accounted for the most new cars in January, with a 27 percent share.

The number of private registrations fell by around 12 percent to 56 700 vehicles in January. According to the VDIK, this development is also an effect of the strong year-end spurt in 2022./nif/DP/stw