E-mobility in Germany is progressing - but slower than politically hoped. While the share of battery-electric vehicles in new registrations is rising, the combustion engine continues to dominate the existing stock. One area plays a key role here that is often underestimated: corporate fleets.
For company cars, leasing vehicles, and pool cars are long since not just operational means of mobility, but one of the most important levers for the market ramp-up of e-mobility.
A current Vergölst/Statista survey among 500 fleet managers shows that the transition is gaining momentum, but is not yet implemented across the board. According to this, 80 percent of companies have fleets in which less than half of the vehicles are electrically operated. Only about 5 percent of businesses have an electric share of more than 75 percent. Nevertheless, almost 60 percent of companies plan to convert their fleets to alternative drives within the next three years - a third of them already in the coming year.
Above all, large fleets are driving the change: Around 36 percent of companies with more than 100 vehicles want to switch completely to electric drives in the short term. Thus, commercial fleets are significantly above the average of the population, in which, according to the Deutschlandatlas, only around 3.3 percent of all passenger cars were purely electric at the beginning of 2025.
Also noticeable is the regional difference: In cities, the share of electric vehicles is significantly higher than in the country. About half of the surveyed fleet managers stated that e-cars are more strongly represented in urban areas, while the transition has been more hesitant in rural regions so far. Reasons for this are the better charging infrastructure, shorter driving distances, and local funding programs.
At the same time, compact electric cars are becoming increasingly popular as company cars, as reported by the leasing company Arval. In August 2025, two small battery-electric vehicles made it to the top spots in the ranking of the most ordered company cars at Arval for the first time. In the first half of 2025, 85.5 percent of the vehicles ordered by companies at Arval were fully electric.
The market researcher Dataforce assumes in its current automotive market forecast for the DACH region that electric cars will become the top-selling drive type for fleets for the first time in the coming year. While the electric car market share among all newly registered fleet vehicles is still at 19.6 percent this year, the value is expected to climb to 24.8 percent in 2026.
The reason for this is a new replacement cycle that is just beginning: After the corona pandemic, companies must again replace more vehicles, as the existing cars have reeled off significantly more kilometers. Battery-electric vehicles are expected to benefit primarily from this replacement need - companies are exchanging their aging diesel and petrol cars for electric vehicles.
Dataforce justifies the forecasted increase with three factors: First, models with longer ranges are becoming available; second, fleet limits are shifting the focus from plug-in hybrids to fully electric models. Added to this is the model offensive of German premium manufacturers, which make up just under a quarter of the market in the three DACH countries. Attractive new electric models like the BMW iX3 as the first car based on the Neue Klasse or the fully electric Mercedes-Benz GLC are setting new standards.
Overall, Dataforce expects around 650,000 new electric car registrations in the DACH region for 2025 - a new record value that exceeds the previous high from 2023. For 2026, the company forecasts a further increase in total registrations by just under five percent to 3.47 million passenger cars.
The change to e-mobility is evident not only among fleet operators but also among mobility service providers. Companies like Europcar or large leasing providers are increasingly relying on electrified vehicle portfolios - from mid-range models to transporters. The goal is to make it easier for commercial customers to enter electromobility and to make the everyday suitability of modern e-vehicles tangible.
At the same time, the structure of corporate fleets themselves is changing. As René Braun, CEO of NAVIT, explained in the Podcast "Money & Mobility", the focus of many companies is shifting away from ownership to the flexible use of various forms of mobility. Not every company will operate a fleet in the classic sense in the future. Instead, many are already combining electric vehicles, bike leasing, public transport subsidies, and mobility budgets to offer employees more choice. Flexibility is becoming the decisive factor - both from an economic point of view and to retain skilled workers.
According to Braun, companies are not driving the electrification of their fleets primarily for environmental reasons, but because efficiency and cost control are in the foreground. Digital solutions, automated billing, and a clear cost structure make e-mobility more plannable and thus more attractive.
Sustainability thus becomes a side effect of a process that aims at efficiency optimization anyway. This pragmatic approach clearly distinguishes corporate fleets from the private market, where purchasing decisions are made more emotionally.
Interestingly, current Dataforce studies show that range currently represents the biggest obstacle to switching to electric cars - far ahead of charging infrastructure or acquisition costs. This finding contradicts the widespread assumption that missing charging points or high prices are the main hurdles.
This is exactly where the new model generations come in: Vehicles with ranges of over 500 or even 600 kilometers directly address the concerns of fleet managers and company car drivers. The combination of more powerful batteries and a growing network of fast-charging stations makes electric cars increasingly practical for fleet use.
At the same time, the home charging option plays a decisive role: Around 70 percent of all charging processes take place in the private environment - also for company cars. Companies that offer their employees uncomplicated solutions for charging at home significantly reduce range anxiety and increase acceptance for electric vehicles in the fleet.
Company vehicles account for around two-thirds of all new registrations in Germany. Thus, companies have a direct influence on the spread of new drive technologies.
The more fleets switch to electric drive, the faster a functioning used car market develops, and the more the total cost of ownership for e-vehicles drops.
In addition, commercial fleets act as a multiplier: Employees who use an e-car in their daily work often transfer their experiences to their private mobility behavior - an effect that Braun describes as "decisive for the social acceptance of electromobility".
He also emphasizes that employee mobility has historically always been the innovation engine of all mobility - whether in air travel, rail travel, or company cars. Many technological upheavals began in companies and reached private everyday life from there.
Around 70 percent of all charging processes take place in the private environment - also for company cars. This makes it clear that operational charging points alone are not sufficient. Companies must create solutions to reimburse home charging costs in a legally secure manner and map charging processes digitally.
At the same time, the expansion of operational charging infrastructure is a basic requirement. Many companies therefore invest in intelligent load management systems and photovoltaic combinations to reduce electricity costs and spare grid capacities.
Politically, however, Braun sees Germany as too hesitant in implementation. While other countries have long been gathering experience in autonomous driving or the nationwide expansion of charging points, a regulatory patchwork prevails in this country. He sees the danger that too much bureaucracy and too little pragmatism will slow down the transformation process.
Besides ecological goals, economic arguments are increasingly moving into the foreground. Electric vehicles cause lower operating costs, require less maintenance, and benefit from tax advantages such as the 0.25 percent rule.
In addition, the pressure from ESG criteria and the CSRD reporting obligation to transparently document emissions is growing. Companies that invest today thus not only secure cost advantages but also a better starting position for future sustainability requirements.
In this context, Braun points out that the vehicle fleet is often the largest directly influenceable emission factor of a company - and thus a tangible starting point to make progress visible.
While many discussions focus on the drive system, the way vehicles are used is changing at the same time.
The typical company car stands unused for around 90 percent of the time, as Braun highlights. In the future, the focus will therefore be more on increasing utilization and efficiency - for example through shared usage, intelligent booking systems, or automated pool concepts.
Thus, not only the electric drive but also the transformation of usage moves into the center.
Corporate fleets are the decisive lever for e-mobility. They bundle market power, investment volume, and signal effect. Every decision regarding an electric company vehicle influences not only the company's own operation but also the used car market, the charging infrastructure, and ultimately the acceptance in the population.
The forecasts from Dataforce show that 2026 could become a turning point year: For the first time, electric cars become the top-selling drive type for company cars. This tipping point marks the transition from niche to mainstream - and makes it clear that the electrification of fleets can no longer be stopped.
As René Braun emphasizes, the future of corporate mobility will be hybrid, digital, and flexible. It connects vehicles, energy, and software into a system that does not play efficiency and sustainability against each other, but combines them.
Thus, the electrification of fleets becomes not only a technical but also an organizational turning point - for companies and for mobility as a whole.
