Audi CEO Duesmann: "We need a fossil-free society"

During a panel discussion at the climate conference hosted by the news magazine Spiegel, Audi CEO Markus Duesmann left no doubt that the shift in propulsion systems for passenger cars must come through battery-electric drives. "How can the German automotive industry master the electrification shift?" was the guiding question of the panel organized together with BCG, which also analyzed how traditional manufacturers compare to new competitors. The discussion also covered whether the political framework conditions were appropriate and how the current coalition agreement should be assessed against this background. In addition to Audi CEO Duesmann, the debate included VDA President Hildegard Müller, traffic expert Prof. Dr. Stefan Bratzel (CAM), and Wolf-Henning Scheider (ZF Group). The manufacturer from Ingolstadt considered the CEO’s core messages important enough to publish them in advance. The Audi CEO did not mince words:

On electromobility: 

• "Climate change is caused by the fossil fuels we extract from the earth. This must stop. We need a fossil-free society.”
• "On the way to an electricity-based society, electric vehicles are by far the most efficient technology.”
• "Plug-in hybrids work as a bridging technology and make it easier to transition to fully electric driving. Therefore, they have their justification for the next few years as well. Nonetheless, the goal is to go 100% electric vehicles. Only then will we be CO2-neutral.”

On charging infrastructure: 

• "Audi is investing in electric vehicles, which is why we are also investing in charging infrastructure. Wherever cars are parked, charging infrastructure must be available."
• "We cannot do enough to provide a charging infrastructure that may be even more convenient than refueling today. I am convinced that politics and business will achieve this together.”

On competitiveness: 

• "We need to solve the world's problems technologically. And the Volkswagen Group has the financial strength to provide answers to all these technological questions. Therefore, I am convinced that we – Germany as a location, the German automotive industry, and the Volkswagen Group – have a good chance of being number one even in ten years.”
• "We are still very well positioned in China today, and the Volkswagen Group is the market leader there. Therefore, I am not worried about the future, but we are watching with great interest what is happening there. Because e-mobility also offers new competitors the chance to showcase respectable cars.”

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