E-mobility by decree

Chancellor Angela Merkel urges car manufacturers not to miss yet another opportunity - Germany’s government and automotive companies meet at the first summit on electromobility and start a “national platform electromobility”.

It is no secret that Germany’s car manufacturer feed off the glory of days long gone by. In the last few decades, innovations have been made elsewhere - maybe with the exception of the illuminated cigarette lighter. The recent history of tardiness and failure encompass the catalytic converter, the diesel soot filter, compact-cars using less than 20 litres per 100 km, the hybrid engine and many more. Luckily for BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Volkswagen and Porsche, there are many people in this world who still listen to their grandparents’ view on things, especially a rather old-fashioned opinion on “Made in Germany”. Since those happy folk aren’t going to last forever and the automotive industry is a key factor in Germany’s economy, the federal government has actually started to take an interest.

(The physicist Dr. Merkel starts up Germany's automotive industry, picture credits: Hannover Messe)

In order for German car manufacturers not to miss this trend as well, Dr. Angela Merkel, chancellor, inaugurated the “national platform electromobility”. In her opinion, Germany “is extremely qualified to take a leading position in this field”.

(Dr. Merkel inspects next generation's spigot at the "pump", picture credits: Hannover Messe)

Industry and government share the responsibility for reaching that promising goal, Ms Merkel added.

(The chancellor and her cabinet, picture credits: REGIERUNGonline/Gebhardt)

Rainer Brüderle, Minister of economic affairs (3d to the left of Ms Merkel) intends to make good use of the clusters made of car manufacturers, subcontractors and component suppliers and promises to “reinvent the automobile”. The "national platform electromobility" consists of politicians, entrepreneurs, managers and scientists, communal representatives and consumers. Its mission is to coordinate the “national electromobility development plan” and put it into practice. For a start, experts from the automotive and energy industry are going to evaluate the market opportunities in seven working groups.

(Plug in and find out, picture credits: Hannover Messe)

Other important topics are the development of energy storage solutions and international standards. By 2020, one million electric vehicles are supposed to hum on German roads.

(The "it"-car: BMWs revised electric Mini Cooper, picture credits: BMW Group)

While car manufacturers were hoping to receive government funds, they were disappointed by Ms Merkel and the minister of transport, Peter Ramsauer (directly behind Ms Merkel). The latter is convinced that “electric vehicles will be so hip that everybody is going to want one, funding or not”.

("Mobility" doesn't only mean cars, picture credits: Hannover Messe)