A 10-year-old car from Germany with 120,000 km? Totally possible!

The number of cars per capita in Germany is growing more and more. At the same time, it turns out that they stay in one place longer. Within 10 years, their average mileage dropped by about 13 percen piese online auto.

A 10-year-old car from Germany with 120,000 km? Totally possible!

People in Germany are becoming more and more car owners. Since new vehicle registrations are growing at a faster rate than population growth, at the beginning of the year, according to the Federal Statistical Office, there were 580 cars per 1,000 inhabitants. This is 2 more cars compared to 2023 and even 37 more than 2014. However, the record of 583 cars per 1000 citizens was set in 2022.

Curiously, Germany's current 49.1 million cars have been on the road less and less recently. According to data from the Federal Motor Transport Service, in 2023 they "traveled" a total of 591 billion kilometers. This is the fifth consecutive annual decline. In 2018, the total number of kilometers was 39 billion more. On average, cars in Germany traveled 12,320 kilometers last year, 150 kilometers less than the previous year and 1,791 kilometers less than in 2014 (-13%).

Cars have become more durable

Despite all the myths and legends, the "car population" in Germany has not yet reached its peak, believes industry expert Ferdinand Dudenhöfer. Although growth has slowed, a comparison with the US demonstrates Germany's upside potential. Across the ocean, there are about 800 cars for every 1,000 inhabitants. Also, there are significantly more cars in European countries like Poland or Italy than here. New technologies such as autonomous driving and electric drives also make cars significantly more comfortable and attractive to people.

The industry has also contributed to the steady growth of the car fleet because cars now last longer than they did a few decades ago. Cars registered in Germany are now 10.3 years old on average. In the 1980s, many models of this age would have long since rusted out Brat suspensie roata Lemforder.

Expert Stefan Bratzel from the Center for Automotive Management in Bergisch Gladbach sees the increasing number of cars as a long-term trend that is far from over. In this case, the comparison with the USA also applies: "People just afford to have several cars when they get rich." However, unlike Los Angeles, for example, in Germany's big cities you don't have to go absolutely everywhere by car.

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People in Germany are becoming more and more car owners

Curiously, Germany's current 49