Volkswagen Group loses ground in China and the US

From January to September 2026, Volkswagen Group delivered 6.011 million vehicles worldwide, 9.0 percent fewer than in the same period of the previous year. Growth in Europe and South America did not offset declines in China and North America. The drop was smaller for battery-electric vehicles: worldwide, the group handed over 678,700 BEVs to customers, 5.4 percent fewer than a year earlier; in the third quarter, the figure was 240,200 vehicles, 4.7 percent fewer than in 2025. In Europe, BEV deliveries rose in the first three quarters to 586,100 vehicles, an increase of 12.1 percent. According to the company, the share of fully electric vehicles in European deliveries rose from 18 to 20 percent, while BEV order intake in the third quarter was more than 60 percent above the previous year's level.

Within the group, the electric-car business developed unevenly. Škoda increased global BEV deliveries through the end of September by 41.3 percent to 167,400 vehicles, while Seat and Cupra together rose by 13.5 percent to 65,100 units. Volkswagen Passenger Cars reached 212,200 electric cars, 26.3 percent below the previous year, and Audi reached 143,700 vehicles, 12.0 percent fewer. The group's best-selling fully electric models were the Škoda Elroq with 92,200 vehicles, the Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5 with a combined 81,900 units, and the Škoda Enyaq with 72,700 vehicles. In China, Volkswagen Group delivered a total of 1.379 million vehicles, 30.2 percent fewer; for BEVs, the figure was 48,900 vehicles, 42.5 percent fewer. In the US, BEV deliveries through the end of September fell from 68,700 to 14,900 units, a decline of 78.4 percent. Volkswagen cites the expiration of government incentive programs and import tariffs as reasons.