VDA President holds the federal government responsible for VW's location conditions

(ots/fk) In connection with the current crisis at Volkswagen, Hildegard Müller, President of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), has rejected accusations from IG Metall against the company's management. "I find this discussion neither honest nor accurate. The unions have been involved in this process of transformation for years," Müller stated on the television channel phoenix and added: "I would rather wish for a joint effort to successfully implement electromobility than for these one-sided accusations to arise now."

Overall, the German automotive industry and Germany as a location are facing a "challenging situation." The transformation towards electromobility is necessary but must be shaped much more by politics than before. "Whether the jobs of the future are created here depends primarily on how the location conditions develop further," the VDA President was convinced. The automotive industry is contributing to the success of the transformation by investing 280 billion euros over the next four years. It is now up to politics to implement an offensive for Germany as a location. "If we have energy costs that are three times as high as in competitive markets, if planning and approval procedures take so long, and if the medium-sized businesses are burdened to the hilt, then that naturally affects the prices," said Hildegard Müller.

A currently discussed government subsidy for the purchase of electrically operated vehicles was met with criticism by the VDA President. "I view a car bonus, which is debated for months again, very skeptically." This only further unsettles potential buyers. The federal government must finally act together now, especially with regard to the fact that the EU Commission will start its work in January. "A strong German voice is needed and not a divided traffic light," said Hildegard Müller.