Sales of electric cars in Germany rose sharply in July following the introduction of the government's new electric car subsidy, with Chinese manufacturers reaping the greatest increase in turnover.
More than 78,600 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) were newly registered last month - almost 62% more than in July of the previous year, according to the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA).
As a result, BEVs accounted for 29.3% of all new registrations in July.
"While the strong growth in electric cars is accelerating the ramp-up of electromobility in Germany, it has so far brought only limited benefits to the domestic automotive industry," said auto expert Constantin Gall of the consulting firm EY.
Chinese companies are the main beneficiaries of the electric vehicle boom, he added.
According to the KBA, the Chinese manufacturer BYD registered sales of 5,240 new cars in Germany in July - more than four and a half times as many cars in July of the previous year.
The high demand for electric cars has boosted the entire new-car market. The KBA reports that the number of new registrations that month rose by 1.2% year-on-year.
The €3 billion ($3.46 billion) subsidy scheme introduced by Germany's conservative-led coalition government supports the purchase and leasing of electric cars, certain plug-in hybrids and EVs fitted with range extenders.
The official digital application portal for citizens purchasing e-cars and wishing to qualify for the subsidy went live in May but applies retroactively to vehicles newly registered since January 1.