Andreas Scheuer
Early on, the Minister of Transport had sided with BMW and Audi.
Berlin The Cabinet meeting had just ended when there were Transport Ministers Andreas Scheuer (CSU) Chancellor Helge Braun and Minister of Economic Affairs Peter Altmaier (both CDU) immediately to the next meeting. There was an important issue to clarify, which should not only provide traffic safety in Europe, but above all could open up a new market for big data businesses. Does Germany agree with the delegated act of the European Commission this Thursday in the Committee of Permanent Representatives in Brussels – or does it reject it?
It’s about a set of rules that the EU Commission wants to use to determine how vehicles communicate with each other over short distances. In the future they should be able to exchange information with each other so that there are fewer accidents and deaths on the streets. It is still being discussed in which language the vehicles should talk to each other.
While various car makers – especially Volkswagen – but also some agricultural machinery manufacturers rely on the freely available and long-proven wireless technology, premium manufacturers such as BMW and mobile phones like that Deutsche Telekom as well as radio chip manufacturer on a mobile radio solution. No wonder it’s been in the past few weeks and months gave a fierce lobby battle,
The Bayer Scheuer had become struck early on the side of BMW and Audi, and asked his colleague Altmaier in mid-June to follow his arguments and reject the legislation. The criticism: The rules are not technology neutral and prevent data streams over mobile are possible. Altmaier, meanwhile, had requested a call and had lodged a ministerial reservation. This Wednesday, he decided: he will follow Scheuer’s opinion. The Handelsblatt learned from government circles.
The act provides Wlan as the standard for short-range vehicle communication. He also allows other standards if they are compatible with Wi-Fi. So new vehicles are to be equipped quickly with the communication. So plans Volkswagento offer its new Golf and all e-vehicles with Wifi technology from 2020 onwards. BMW, they said, plans to equip new models with the LTE-V2X mobile technology at the earliest in 2021/2022.
Against the opinion of the experts
Scheuer like Altmaier have now voted against the opinion of their experts in the house. While the digital experts in the transport department had supported the legal act, the department head refused, as it was called in government circles. Scouring followed him. in the Ministry of economy The Digital Department supported the regulations, the industrial politicians resisted and finally prevailed.
Experts warn that a mobile solution would create dependency on Chinese and American chipmakers. On top of that, they were also aggressive in patent litigation. Companies such as Qualcomm or Huawei hold a large number of patents in the area of 4G and 5G mobile telephony, while in the wifi the patents are largely freely accessible.
Moreover, the LTE standard, which the premium manufacturers prefer, has not yet matured. The companies even refused independent tests to check the state of development and capabilities. From the companies there is still no proof that their technology is mature and operational, it was said. Experts expect more, it takes a few more years until a short-distance communication via mobile phone is used.
In the industry, it is an open secret that the wifi standard, even small cars could have a wealth of information, while on mobile, BMW and others can set up their payment services. All these arguments are supported by the advocates of the mobile solution and complain that the act is not technology-open. Their standard is already available and tested, as it is called at the Telekom.
Without the European legal act, however, there is no clear set of rules for the communication of vehicles in order to exchange traffic safety data with each other. This threatens a jumble of languages that could lead to the fact that only vehicles of a brand can communicate with each other, but not between the brands.
Germany’s No could create a pull effect
Traffic commissioner Violeta Bulc had even warned in several phone calls with Scheuer and Altmaier that it could come to a standstill in the establishment of short-distance communication, it said in government circles. Reliable statements on the traffic situation and risks could only be made with a high volume of data. And they inevitably only supply many cars that participate.
The Ministry of Finance had initially also lodged a ministerial reservation against Altmaier, after all, as a shareholder of Telekom must protect their interests. The reservation drew the house back on Wednesday, according to government circles, thus agreeing with the dismissive attitude of Transport Minister Scheuer – quite in the interests of Telekom and BMW.
It was not clear how the Ministry of Agriculture behaves. According to the interests of large agricultural machinery manufacturers, the ministry would need to support the legislation. However, it was said that one did not vote against the head of the Federal Chancellery. Accordingly, there was no vote, as it was later called.
Germany will reject the legal act. The Council needs a qualified majority to reject it. This corresponds to 16 negative states, representing 65 percent of the population. A majority has not been in sight. Now this could change with the attitude of Germany. It could produce a pull effect with its no, it was said in government circles.