It is good that the German federal government has now agreed on new funding for electromobility and on a position to make European CO2 regulation more flexible. Germany must represent the interests of employees in the automotive and supplier industries with a strong voice in Brussels. The federal government is following the suggestions of IG Metall. Electromobility will continue to be supported as the central path to the future of mobility. However, more flexibility is needed along the way than has previously been envisaged.
It is good that the federal government is committed to continuing to allow plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV) and electric cars with internal combustion engine range extension (EREV) even after 2035. It therefore makes sense not to tighten the usage factor of PHEVs in the fleet limit calculation. Your electric range increases, and the share of electric driving can be significantly increased with appropriate measures. The EU Commission should now take this into account when revising the fleet limits. PHEV and EREV can play a good role in the transition to electric mobility. They will help maintain employment in the German automotive and supplier industry.
The federal government wants to work in Brussels for better recognition of climate-friendly fuels. Even if such fuels remain limited in quantity, they can make a contribution to the transition to climate-neutral car transport and maintain employment in the transition. The EU Commission should revise the regulation in this sense.
If the EU follows these suggestions, we expect that companies in the automotive and supplier industries will now quickly make location and employment commitments at their German locations. Staff cuts and relocations were often justified with reference to the Brussels rules; they must stop now.
At the same time, making the CO2 rules more flexible must not lead to the ramp-up of electromobility being slowed down. The central way to secure jobs in the German automotive and supplier industry remains to provide strong support for this ramp-up and thus ensure that the high investments in the new drives pay off more quickly and that the competitiveness of German manufacturers and suppliers advances in this key future field.
It is therefore good that the federal government will now quickly launch a new funding program for electromobility for private households with small and medium incomes. This is also following suggestions from IG Metall. We have also called for the now announced inclusion of European harmonized local content regulations. This means that demand from the new program is also reaching the German plants.
Counting CO2-saving green steel into the automobile manufacturers’ fleet limits is also a smart idea. This saves emissions in automobile production and at the same time helps German steel locations. The same applies to investments in our own European battery cell production. This is where climate protection and industrial policy come together for greater European resilience.