VDA boss: Germany can lose the future as a car location
The head of the automotive industry association VDA, Hildegard Müller, does not rule out that Germany could fall by the wayside as an industry location. The German manufacturers would not lose the race for the future, “the German location without massive reforms would,” said Müller of the German Press Agency in a joint interview with Microsoft’s Germany boss Marianne Janik. Before the start of the IAA motor show, Müller complained, among other things, about overregulation, too slow political decisions and the lack of a legal framework for future topics such as artificial intelligence.
The main point is “that the location in Germany loses its international competitiveness dramatically due to the cost structure,” warned the VDA boss. This is how you have the highest energy costs – and the car industry thinks a temporary industrial electricity price is necessary. This should prevent important industries such as battery or semiconductor technology from migrating or not settling in the first place. From medium-sized suppliers it is said: “The topic of energy prices is becoming toxic for us.” Investments would no longer be increased in this country, “but they go to other European countries or to the USA”.