Top managers: electric cars are the future – on one condition
/>by philipp rall 28. January 2022, 8:22 28. January 2022, 8:22
Electric cars bring with them diverse possibilities. However, the mobility revolution is also accompanied by problems.
New electric cars bring back old problems. Credit: getty images/viaframe
Wolfgang reitzle has been Chairman of the Supervisory Board of continental AG since 2009. Over the past decades, the company has evolved from a simple tire manufacturer to a major automotive supplier. That is why the mobility shift is going towards alternative propulsion systems and electric cars not bypassing the company. Reitzle therefore sees a rocky road ahead but could be made easier by the traffic light coalition.
Electric cars in germany
in an interview with manager magazin, the entrepreneur is critical. He sometimes criticizes the wrong subsidies for electric cars, but also emphasizes the opportunities that can come with new technologies. He also describes his plan for continental AG to face the current situation.
In many areas, reitzle notices a locational disadvantage. After all, companies in the automotive industry are facing "very high wages and energy costs," he says the state, on the other hand, benefits from high corporate taxes. „Our infrastructure is still good, but slowly deteriorating", states the manager. The important thing is that "blockades in thinking, as in data protection or genetic engineering, disappear".
Hope through the traffic light coalition?
There are already good approaches to reduce the location disadvantage in germany. Reitzle is hoping in particular for the traffic light coalition. „There are enough politicians in the SPD and especially in the FDP to approach such a coalition in a fresh and forward-looking way", he says in the interview. Mr. diess also expects the Greens to have a sufficient sense of reality "not to subsidize electric cars to the tune of billions of euros in the long term, unless they make a contribution to the climate balance sheet.
„Companies have to sell a lot of electric cars because otherwise they won’t meet the politically deliberately stringent CO₂ targets. But these cars have disadvantages in terms of range, there are too few charging stations, and they are not suitable for everyday use by many customers. And as long as german electricity is so CO₂-heavy, they won’t help the climate either.“
Wolfgang reitzle (via manager magazin)
wolfgang reitzle also attributes the high sales figures for electric cars in 2021 to subsidies from politicians. After all, the state subsidizes the vehicles by up to 6 percent.000 euro. „Including tax benefits, this means that over the course of the 20.000 euro subsidy together", he calculates.
„The future of the car is electric
stellantis CEO carlos tavares also recently drew attention to the current political problems associated with the mobility revolution. He does not see electric cars as the solution to reducing emissions but new risks. Reitzle does not fully go along with this, but rather agrees with the expectations of VW ceo herbert diess.
„Mr. diess is right about the future of the car being electric: battery-electric for cars, with fuel cells for heavy trucks and long-distance journeys. In this respect, we need to work more intensively on e-mobility. But there will be a long transition period. Wanting to shorten this extremely will harm germany as a business location.“
Wolfgang reitzle (via manager magazin)