40% of Volkswagen Group’s European Orders Were Electrics Last Month

Volkswagen Group reported that approximately 40 percent of its order book in Europe now consists of battery-electric vehicles, signaling a significant shift toward electrification in its home market despite broader industry challenges.

What Happened

According to Martin Sander, Member of the Volkswagen Group’s Extended Executive Committee for Sales, the company saw a significantly accelerated trend toward all-electric vehicles in Europe. This growth was driven largely by the newly launched Electric Urban Car Family, which comprises the VW ID. Polo, ID. Cross02, Škoda Epiq, and CUPRA Raval. These four models received nearly 150,000 orders shortly after their launch. Sander attributed this surge to high fuel prices and the wider availability of entry-level electric models.

Why It Matters

The data indicates that electric vehicles are currently carrying Volkswagen Group’s growth in Europe, with BEV order intake rising by more than 60 percent in the third quarter compared to the prior-year period. While the Volkswagen brand remains the number one EV seller in Europe, the broader Volkswagen Group holds a commanding 23.9 percent share of plugin vehicle sales in the region, significantly ahead of the second-place BMW Group at 8.7 percent. This strong European performance contrasts with global deliveries, which fell approximately nine percent below the same period last year, and a sharp decline in the Chinese market, although electrified vehicle deliveries in China did rise by about 30 percent in the third quarter due to new locally developed models.

The Bottom Line

Volkswagen Group’s European strategy is increasingly defined by affordable electric vehicles, which now account for two-fifths of its order book in the region, even as the company navigates declining overall global deliveries and intense competition in key markets like China.