# VW ID, Škoda Elroq, BYD and Polestar Search Volume in Germany vs. Tesla — March–April 2026

> Tesla's share of EV searches in Germany fell from 15.6% to 9.4% as BYD and Polestar tripled their mentions –40% relative share loss

**Period:** March–April 2026  
**Market:** DE  
**Data status:** final  
**Data as of:** 2026-04-28T17:00:33.999068+00:00  
**Sample size:** n = 4,417  
**Source:** [https://www.datapods.app/en/insights/digital/search-queries/ev-brand-search-share-germany-byd-polestar-tesla-2026](https://www.datapods.app/en/insights/digital/search-queries/ev-brand-search-share-germany-byd-polestar-tesla-2026)

## Segments

- **Years:** 2025–2026
- **Platform:** search

## Summary

Tesla's share of all EV-related German Google searches dropped from 15.6% to 9.4% year-on-year, while absolute Tesla EV-search mentions fell 19% — from 557 to 451. BYD more than doubled its mention count (178 → 450, +153%) and Polestar more than tripled (130 → 396, +205%). BMW i/iX (+90%) and Audi e-tron (+178%) also gained strongly, and Škoda Elroq/Enyaq expanded its already-large footprint (+42%).

## From a Tesla monolith to a multi-brand market

Tesla's declining search share in Germany reflects both a brand-trust crisis and a rapidly deepening competitive field. Tesla's German new-car registrations fell by approximately 50% in 2025, linked directly to boycott sentiment around CEO Elon Musk's political positioning. A study cited in German media found that 85% of German EV shoppers ruled out Tesla, up sharply from prior years. Meanwhile, the competitive landscape has transformed: BYD saw German sales rise over 1,000% in January 2026 alone, and Polestar recorded its best-ever first quarter globally in Q1 2026, with Germany as a named growth market. The Škoda Elroq — a new model launched for the 2026 model year — took second place in German EV registrations in March 2026. This multi-brand fragmentation in Google search is a reliable leading indicator: it mirrors the registration data and suggests Tesla's path to recapturing its former search dominance in Germany faces structural, not just cyclical, headwinds.

## Chart

Grouped bar or dot-plot chart showing each major EV brand's percentage share of all EV-related German Google searches in March–April 2025 versus March–April 2026. Tesla falls from 15.6% to 9.4%; BYD rises from 5.0% to 9.3%; Polestar from 3.6% to 8.2%; BMW i/iX, Audi e-tron, and Škoda Elroq/Enyaq also show gains. Total brand-attributed EV mentions: 4,417 across both periods.

## Methodology

Brand attribution was applied using a priority-ordered keyword match over query text — Tesla was checked before generic EV terms to prevent overlap. The denominator is the total pool of EV-classified searches in each year, so percentage shares reflect each brand's slice of overall EV search attention rather than of all Google searches. Polestar queries were verified as vehicle/leasing-intent (Polestar 1–5, leasing, software updates), excluding unrelated hits. Tesla stock (Aktie) and toy-car queries were excluded. The full dataset covers 4,417 brand-attributed EV mentions across March–April 2025 and March–April 2026.

## Citation

Datapods (2026-04-28). *VW ID, Škoda Elroq, BYD and Polestar Search Volume in Germany vs. Tesla — March–April 2026*. Datapods Insights. https://www.datapods.app/en/insights/digital/search-queries/ev-brand-search-share-germany-byd-polestar-tesla-2026

## About Datapods

Datapods is a behavioral consumer-data platform. The Insights library publishes free, citable statistics derived from a panel of 25,000+ opted-in participants in Germany: observed real behavior (transactions, browsing, media), not surveys. All data is processed within the EU and is GDPR-compliant.

For brand-specific cuts, competitor benchmarks, and granular audience filters across 12,000+ tracked brands, see [https://www.datapods.app/en](https://www.datapods.app/en).