2023-05-21 13:43:43
Every fourth new car in Germany now has all-wheel drive. The cars consume more fuel than comparable models. The strongholds are in Bavaria – but by no means all in the mountains.
In Germany there are more and more cars with all-wheel drive. Every fourth new car is now equipped with this technology, according to figures from the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), which the German Press Agency evaluated. That’s more than double the share in 2010. Possible explanations include the SUV boom and the popularity of caravans.
In the first four months of this year, the KBA data shows a Germany-wide all-wheel share of new registrations of 25 percent. In 2022 it was even 25.9 percent. Before that it went up year after year: in 2010 it was only 11 percent.
“One reason for the increase in all-wheel drive could be the SUV boom. For many buyers, all-wheel drive is part of it,” the ADAC suspects. “Another aspect could be the popularity of caravans.” And the driving dynamics also play a role: “The front-wheel drive in particular is often overwhelmed with the often high engine performance of modern cars,” says ADAC expert Maximilian Bauer.
Clearly at a disadvantage when it comes to consumption
The all-wheel drive vehicles are clearly at a disadvantage when it comes to consumption compared to comparable models without this technology: “Even today, modern all-wheel drive vehicles consume around half a liter more per 100 kilometers than cars with only one driven axle,” says Bauer. The additional consumption is lower than before, “also because the all-wheel drive is not used continuously, but is usually switched on or off automatically,” he explains. A lot has happened technically. “However, it remains the case that all-wheel drive means more moving parts and an additional weight of 50 to 80 kilograms. And that costs fuel.”
In the long run, this also costs money and puts a strain on the climate. Depending on the mileage and prices you expect, this can add up to more than 2000 euros over the life of the car. Roughly calculated, it also causes additional CO2 emissions in a dimension of around three tons.
The four-wheel drive boom of the past few years is already having an impact on the number of vehicles. But because cars are driven for many years, this happens slowly. Almost 6.5 million vehicles on January 1, 2023 correspond to a share of 13.3 percent on the roads.
Anything but evenly distributed
The all-wheel drive vehicles are anything but evenly distributed in Germany. The highest rates can be found in Bavaria, with peak values of 28.6 percent in the registration districts of Miesbach and Freyung-Grafenau. The district of Regen with 27.8 percent is more than twice the national average. All three have in common that they are at least partially mountainous due to their location in the Alps or in the Bavarian Forest.
This applies to many, but not all registration districts in the top 10 purely Bavarian: Ingolstadt comes in 5th place with 24.6 percent – however, the statistics could be distorted by the fact that Audi has its headquarters here and there is an exceptionally high proportion of Company-approved vehicles there. However, this does not apply to the district of Munich with 23.3 percent and Starnberg with 22.4 in ranks 7 and 9.
And even the city of Munich, with 21 percent and 12th place, is well above the German average. For comparison: In Hamburg it is 13 percent, in Berlin 11.5 – and even in the Autostadt Stuttgart with Mercedes and Porsche it is only 17.2. Overall, however, four-wheel drive has fewer friends in cities. The lowest shares are found in Emden with 8 percent, Wilhelmshaven with 8.3 and Herne with 8.4 percent.
Overall, there is a clear divide between south and north: In all three city states and the non-city states of Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt, no registration district has 14 percent or more. In Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and Thuringia, on the other hand, more than half are higher. (dpa)
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