Eine Verifox-Umfrage räumt mit dem Mythos teurer E-Mobilität auf: Ist für Sie Laden schon günstiger als Tanken?
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StreetScooter: In the future from Thailand instead of Düren?
At the beginning of 2024, StreetScooter inventor Günther Schuh, with his company e.Volution, bought back the rights to the StreetScooter. During production, he had to navigate some challenges and entered into a strategic partnership with Neapco, the contract manufacturer of the electric delivery vehicles. This allowed him to restart production, but by summer, dark clouds loomed again: according to recent reports, the location could not be maintained either—after Schuh already had to give up Aachen. Instead, the delivery van is to be built in Thailand starting in 2025. This was confirmed by e.Volution to various media, including WDR and the Aachener Zeitung. About 200 jobs are currently affected by the move to Thailand.
The Neapco works council sees the entire plant with its over 500 employees at risk in the medium term. According to the "Aachener Zeitung," production of the StreetScooter was already stopped on July 8, 2024, and since then there has been short-time work. To restart production, it would require additional millions that Schuh, according to the Aachener Zeitung as a majority shareholder of e.Volution GmbH, no longer wants to contribute alone. According to the report, Schuh, who wanted to assemble affordable vehicles in Germany for a long time, said:
"We must abandon the adventure, the attempt to keep Streetscooter in Germany."
Nevertheless, the frustration runs deep because he also invested personal wealth:
"I have invested many millions—including my own private money—and fought for the future of producing this unique, maximally sustainable delivery vehicle together with many suppliers in the region. I wanted to show that we in NRW are still pioneers in sustainability and new mobility. However, I can no longer win the struggle here because it is not financially viable."
As the reason for the decision, failed negotiations with a potential German client were mentioned. However, there is an investor in Thailand who offers favorable production conditions and, according to Schuh, also opens up the opportunity to market the electric vehicle internationally. It remains uncertain whether e.Volution GmbH will inevitably go into insolvency due to the end in Düren.
In Thailand, Schuh plans a 50:50 joint venture in cooperation with a Thai entrepreneurial family near Bangkok. By relocating to Southeast Asia, production costs are expected to be reduced by almost half. How Schuh intends to arrange distribution in Germany and Europe is not yet definitively clarified.
What does this mean?
Too bad Schuh! You were and are a true idealist – yet the "start-up culture" invoked by Economic Minister Habeck simply does not seem to take hold in Germany. Because Schuh has paid particular attention to keeping production as low-effort and inexpensive as possible to avoid needing high quantities. But if customers do not honor this and do not order enough, he too is powerless. A pity for the vehicle and the idea.
Translated automatically from German.
Branchenguide
Elektromobilität , Newsletter Elektromobilität , IAA Mobility , SUVs und Geländewagen , Hybrid , Antriebsarten, Kraftstoffe und Emissionen , Oberklasse- und Sportwagen , Carsharing , Autonomes Fahren (Straßenverkehr) , Ladeinfrastruktur , Verkehrspolitik , Formel E , Brennstoffzellen , Fahrzeug-Vernetzung und -Kommunikation , Fahrzeuge & Fuhrpark , Automotive-Messen & Veranstaltungen , Pkw, Kompakt- und Mittelklasse , Minis und Kleinwagen , E-Auto-Datenbank, E-Mobilität-/Automotive-Newsletter, E-Auto-Tests
