VDA President Müller: "Failure is not an option"

The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) is calling for more speed in the establishment and expansion of the infrastructure necessary for the implementation of the ambitious climate goals in light of the monumental task of transformation. Additionally, noticeable accelerations in planning across all sectors as well as a realistic assessment of current developments in the expansion of renewable energy and digital infrastructure are urgently needed to actually and timely realize the ambitious goals.

VDA Managing Director Hildegard Müller speaks of a paradigm shift in industrial policy and the end of theoretical debates about climate goals.

“It is now about the concrete implementation of what has been decided. Climate and industrial policies are being merged. That is the right thing to do,” she said at the VDA's annual opening press conference.

Müller now wants to focus on infrastructure and framework conditions. These are the crucial factors for the industry to implement the ambitious goals.

“We can only tackle the massive tasks ahead with long-term societal support – that's why it's important to consider the diverse life realities of people and to shape the transition in a socially acceptable way,” Müller continued.

The association's president also emphasizes that successful climate policy is successful industrial policy and vice versa. For her, both belong together. She sees the state as partly responsible for creating the necessary infrastructure. From the VDA's perspective, this has not been sufficiently successful so far.

“The expansion of the charging infrastructure is unable to keep pace with the ramp-up of electromobility,” Müller criticized.

The gap is growing, not shrinking.

“A gap that could cost us success. Failure is not an option. Consumers need sufficient charging opportunities. The gap must be closed as quickly as possible. Therefore, a charging summit that includes all parties is urgently needed. If Germany maintains its current, modest pace, we will have only around 160,000 charging points by 2030 – not even a sixth of the targeted 1 million. Therefore: More speed in the expansion, please,” Müller demands.

The renewable energies are also lacking so far. For only when the e-cars are fueled with 100 percent green electricity will they “make their contribution to climate-neutral mobility,” explains the association president.

“In addition, the requirements for the power grid will continue to rise with the ramp-up of e-mobility. The expansion of the grid is therefore the basic prerequisite to enable the mobility of the future – and must be pursued more resolutely.”

But even if, from Müller's point of view, the decision for e-mobility in the passenger car sector has long been made, it won’t work without e-fuels and hydrogen in her opinion. This is not only due to the trucks, for which at least in long-distance transport all options are still open. There are also many old vehicles that will continue to be on our roads beyond 2030. They need to be able to be fueled in a climate-neutral manner, and for that, e-fuels are also needed. However, producing e-fuels and hydrogen also requires renewable energies. The demand is therefore steadily growing, says Müller.

“This amount will not be able to be produced in Germany alone. Germany therefore needs committed programs for energy and raw material partnerships, an active foreign raw materials policy – a foreign policy that also understands itself as climate policy. However, the markets are currently being distributed largely without us. Germany needs to act faster here and proceed strategically.”

Regarding digitization, the VDA also has demands on politics. Without the expansion of the 5G network, Germany cannot realize its potential. Müller warns that the German location could fall behind internationally.