Successful electric models saved the German auto industry's export balance sheet last year. Exports of some 300,000 all-electric battery-powered cars generated sales of 12.6 billion euros, an increase of 78.1 percent in this segment compared with the previous year, the country's Federal Statistical Office reported. In addition, there were around 264,000 plug-in hybrids worth 10.5 billion euros (+37.5 percent) and 551,000 mild hybrids worth 22.4 billion euros. This figure has more than doubled since 2020, with an increase of 116.5 percent. By contrast, the sales of cars with internal combustion engines, which remain the largest segment, have declined.
Overall, Germany's largest industrial sector exported cars worth 117.6 billion euros. Although this was 9.9 percent more than in 2020, it was also still 8.2 percent less than in the pre-crisis year of 2019. The most important foreign market was China. This contrasted with a 2.4 percent drop in car imports worth 56.4 billion euros. For electric cars, the United States was the most important trading partner in both directions.
Due to supply bottlenecks and the ongoing shortage of semiconductors, companies have slowed production and focused on models with high profit margins. The sales of the surveyed 60 biggest companies in the automotive industry climbed by 7.7 percent to 295.6 billion euros. However, they still fell short of the 2019 level of 317.5 billion euros.
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