Up to 40% of fleets in Germany suspended vehicle orders in April, and many vehicles that were ordered at the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020 are just now rolling to customers, according to Dataforce.

This catch up in fleet registrations for the German market, is expected to occur through September. Manufacturers and retailers are now responding to a demand shock as countries in the EU continue through recovery of COVID-19. They’ve also introduced price promotions under the absence of government subsidies for pure combustion engines, which fleet customers can benefit from, Dataforce observed. 

The impact of the pandemic on long-term mobility behaviour is currently still difficult to predict.

The number of people commuting to work will probably continue to be down for the coming months, but on the other hand, the importance of having your own car has increased. This could lead to more crowded roads, especially in the Winter, Dataforce said.