Germany’s auto market ended 2023 with 2.84 million new car registrations, up 7.4% from the prior year. Electric vehicles kept gaining share as BEVs reached 18.4% of registrations and plug-in hybrids rose to 13.2%. Market leadership stayed concentrated, with Volkswagen taking 18.2% share on 522,000 registrations, while diesel fell to 13.1%.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, new car registrations in Germany totaled 2.84 million units, up 7.4% from 2022.
- The German automotive industry employed 835,000 people directly in 2023.
- In 2023, Germany exported €153 billion worth of vehicles and parts.
- In 2023, Germany produced a total of 4.11 million vehicles, marking a 6.4% decline from 2022 due to supply chain disruptions.
- In 2023, German auto R&D spending totaled €45 billion, 7% of revenue.
German car production and exports grew again, showing strong demand despite ongoing global challenges.
Related reading
02 · Category
Employment and Labor27 stats
01
The German automotive industry employed 835,000 people directly in 2023.
02
Automotive suppliers provided jobs for 1.25 million workers in Germany 2023.
03
VW Group had 120,000 employees in Germany in 2023.
04
BMW employed 118,000 staff in Germany end of 2023.
05
Mercedes-Benz Group workforce in Germany was 105,000 in 2023.
06
Average salary in German car industry was €68,000 gross annually in 2023.
07
Women comprised 18% of automotive workforce in Germany 2023.
08
Over 50,000 apprentices trained in auto industry in 2023.
09
R&D staff in German car sector numbered 190,000 in 2023.
10
Unemployment rate among auto workers was 2.1% in 2023.
11
Short-time work affected 150,000 auto workers in early 2023.
12
Porsche employed 36,000 in Germany with Leipzig as key site.
13
Audi had 85,000 German employees focused on Ingolstadt/Neckarsulm.
14
Continental AG, supplier, had 195,000 employees worldwide but 50,000 in DE 2023.
15
Bosch employed 240,000 in Germany, many in auto division 2023.
16
ZF Friedrichshafen had 164,000 employees globally, 60,000 in Germany 2023.
17
Automotive sector contributed 5.1% to total German employment in 2023.
18
25% of auto jobs required STEM qualifications in 2023.
19
Temporary agency workers in auto industry: 120,000 in 2023.
20
Age average of auto workers was 44.5 years in 2023.
21
Digital skills training reached 300,000 employees in 2023.
22
Strikes led to 1.2 million lost workdays in auto sector 2023.
23
Opel/Stellantis Germany staff: 25,000 in 2023.
24
Ford Germany employed 15,000 workers mainly Cologne.
25
Truck manufacturing employed 80,000 in Germany 2023.
26
EV transition created 20,000 new jobs in battery sector 2023.
27
Supplier bankruptcies led to 10,000 job losses in 2023.
Interpretation
Employment and Labor Interpretation
With a staggering 2.1 million cogs directly turning its engine—spanning giants like Volkswagen, Bosch, and a vast supplier network—Germany's automotive industry remains a powerhouse of high-wage, STEM-driven employment, yet it navigates a bumpy road of transformation, grappling with a stark gender imbalance, an aging workforce, and the painful potholes of supplier bankruptcies even as it charges toward an electric future.
03 · Category
Exports and International Presence27 stats
01
In 2023, Germany exported €153 billion worth of vehicles and parts.
02
Passenger car exports totaled 3.6 million units from Germany in 2023.
03
USA was top export market with €28 billion in 2023.
04
China imported 480,000 German cars in 2023, down 18%.
05
EU exports accounted for 55% of German vehicle shipments in 2023.
06
UK received 250,000 German cars exports in 2023 post-Brexit.
07
VW exported 2.1 million vehicles from German plants in 2023.
08
Mercedes exports to North America: 450,000 units in 2023.
09
BMW shipped 1.2 million cars abroad from Germany 2023.
10
Auto parts exports reached €92 billion in 2023.
11
Exports to South Korea grew 12% to €4.5 billion in 2023.
12
Commercial vehicle exports: 380,000 units in 2023.
13
Premium brand exports generated €60 billion in 2023.
14
Trade surplus in autos was €130 billion for Germany 2023.
15
Mexico imported €10 billion German autos/parts 2023.
16
EV exports from Germany: 180,000 units in 2023.
17
Australia market took 60,000 German cars in 2023.
18
Porsche exported 85% of production, 145,000 cars abroad 2023.
19
Audi exports to China: 420,000 vehicles in 2023.
20
German cars hold 12% share in US market with 500,000 sales 2023.
21
Imports to Germany: 450,000 cars, mainly Japanese/Asian 2023.
22
Middle East exports €8 billion for German autos 2023.
23
Africa received €3.5 billion German vehicle exports 2023.
24
Top 10 export markets absorbed 75% of German car exports 2023.
25
VW exports to Brazil: 120,000 units from Germany 2023.
26
Supplier exports to US: €25 billion in 2023.
27
India imports 80,000 German premium cars yearly avg 2023.
Interpretation
Exports and International Presence Interpretation
Germany's auto industry remains an export juggernaut, banking its enormous €130 billion trade surplus on premium brands and parts shipped worldwide, but must now navigate the tricky shift to electric vehicles while its vital Chinese market sputters.
More related reading
04 · Category
Production and Output30 stats
01
In 2023, Germany produced a total of 4.11 million vehicles, marking a 6.4% decline from 2022 due to supply chain disruptions.
02
Volkswagen Group manufactured 4.8 million vehicles in Germany in 2023, accounting for 41% of national output.
03
BMW produced 248,000 vehicles at its Munich plant in 2023, focusing on electric models like the i4.
04
Mercedes-Benz Cars division output reached 2.04 million units in 2023, with Dingolfing plant contributing 284,000.
05
In 2022, German car production totaled 4.39 million units, including 3.68 million passenger cars.
06
Audi's Ingolstadt plant produced 860,000 vehicles in 2023, emphasizing premium segments.
07
Porsche's Leipzig plant assembled 174,000 vehicles in 2023, including the Taycan EV.
08
Opel produced 145,000 vehicles at Rüsselsheim in 2023 under Stellantis.
09
Ford's Cologne plant output was 340,000 units in 2023, mainly Transit vans.
10
In Q1 2024, Germany produced 745,000 passenger cars, up 0.5% year-over-year.
11
German commercial vehicle production hit 415,000 units in 2023, led by MAN and Daimler Trucks.
12
Battery electric vehicle (BEV) production in Germany reached 223,000 units in 2023, 5.4% of total.
13
Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) output was 289,000 vehicles in Germany in 2023.
14
Germany accounted for 22% of EU passenger car production in 2023 with 3.9 million units.
15
Stuttgart's Mercedes plants produced 600,000 cars in 2023, hub for S-Class.
16
In 2021 peak, Germany produced 5.07 million vehicles before chip crisis hit.
17
VW's Wolfsburg plant, world's largest, made 790,000 cars in 2023.
18
BMW Spartanburg (US affiliate) influences German output with 410,000 SUVs exported back.
19
German engine production totaled 5.2 million units in 2023, including hybrids.
20
Transmission output in Germany was 7.8 million units in 2023 by ZF and others.
21
In 2023, Germany produced 1.2 million premium vehicles from BMW, Mercedes, Audi.
22
Compact car production segment led with 1.8 million units in 2023.
23
SUV/crossover output reached 1.5 million vehicles in Germany 2023.
24
German plants installed 1.1 million electrified powertrains in 2023.
25
In H1 2023, production fell 5.2% to 2.1 million vehicles.
26
MAN Truck plant in Munich produced 45,000 trucks in 2023.
27
Daimler Buses output was 28,000 units from Mannheim in 2023.
28
Seat/Cupra models from Martorell affect German VW group output at 250,000.
29
Skoda production in Mladá Boleslav contributed to VW German totals indirectly at 800,000.
30
Germany produced 420,000 vans/light commercials in 2023.
Interpretation
Production and Output Interpretation
Germany's mighty auto industry spent 2023 learning that you can't simply will a supply chain into existence, as it shed 6.4% of its output while paradoxically crowning Volkswagen as the undisputed king of a slightly smaller hill and desperately trying to electrify its crown jewels.
05 · Category
Research Development and Innovation30 stats
01
In 2023, German auto R&D spending totaled €45 billion, 7% of revenue.
02
VW invested €18 billion in R&D in 2023, focusing on software-defined vehicles.
03
BMW R&D budget was €6.2 billion in 2023 for EVs and autonomy.
04
Mercedes spent €11.5 billion on R&D in 2023, leading in luxury EVs.
05
Germany filed 12,500 auto patents in 2023, top in EU.
06
Battery research funding: €2.3 billion government grants 2023.
07
Autonomous driving tests: 5,000 km daily on German roads 2023.
08
Bosch invested €8 billion in R&D, 50% auto-related 2023.
09
ZF R&D spend €6.5 billion targeting electrification 2023.
10
Continental R&D €3.2 billion for ADAS and connectivity 2023.
11
1,200 startups in German auto ecosystem funded €4 billion 2023.
12
Hydrogen fuel cell prototypes: 500 units tested by auto firms 2023.
13
Software engineers in auto R&D doubled to 80,000 since 2020 by 2023.
14
Porsche invested €3.5 billion R&D for Mission E platform 2023.
15
Audi R&D €5 billion on Premium Platform Electric (PPE) 2023.
16
EU Horizon program auto grants: €1.8 billion to German firms 2023.
17
Digital twin simulations saved €500 million in development costs 2023.
18
3D printing used for 20% of prototypes in German auto 2023.
19
AI in design reduced time-to-market by 30% for OEMs 2023.
20
Quantum computing pilots for traffic optimization by BMW 2023.
21
Sustainability R&D: €4 billion on circular economy 2023.
22
Level 4 autonomy approved for highways in pilot 2023.
23
Chip design investments €2 billion by auto suppliers 2023.
24
Bio-materials tested in 50 vehicle models prototypes 2023.
25
V2X communication standard adopted by 10 OEMs 2023.
26
Solid-state battery prototypes: 1,000 km range achieved 2023.
27
AR/VR training modules for 100,000 engineers 2023.
28
Carbon-neutral production pilots at 5 plants 2023.
29
Over-the-air updates rolled out to 2 million vehicles 2023.
30
Cybersecurity investments €1.5 billion in auto sector 2023.
Interpretation
Research Development and Innovation Interpretation
Germany is spending an automotive fortune with the precision of a Swiss watchmaker, betting €45 billion on a future where luxury is electric, cars are supercomputers, and their industrial crown remains firmly bolted on.
Reference
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APA
Marie Larsen. (2026, February 13). Germany Car Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/germany-car-industry-statistics
MLA
Marie Larsen. "Germany Car Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/germany-car-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Marie Larsen. 2026. "Germany Car Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/germany-car-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
50 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level