In the media: Electric cars, worries about E.ON's nuclear liabilities
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) / NPE
鈥淓xtraordinary write-downs for electric cars demanded鈥�
The National Platform for Electromobility (NPE) suggested in a progress report that achieving scale in the number of听 electric vehicles on the road would require government action. If no further measures were introduced, only 500,000 instead of the envisaged 1 million electric cars will be underway in 2020, the Frankfurter Allgmeine Zeitung writes, quoting the report鈥檚 authors. The NPE in particular demands an extraordinary write-down for companies who buy e-cars, a scheme that would cost Germany 200 million euros per year, the paper says. Additionally, the NPE suggests boosting research and development of e-car technology by an extra 360 million euros more every year. With its 4,800 charging stations for cars, Germany has a mediocre ranking in international comparison.
See the NPE report in German .
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Die Welt
鈥淲hy electric vehicles are not successful in Germany鈥�
The number of electric cars in Germany is far lower than expected, but Chancellor Angela Merkel remains confident that one million e-cars will be on the streets by 2020, Nikolaus Doll writes in Die Welt. Germany not only wants to become a leading manufacturer of e-cars worldwide, but it also wants to be a leading market, so it is important that battery production gains ground, the author quotes the head of trade union IG-Metall as saying. At least the German car industry has done its homework, Doll writes. After a weak start, it will present 17 different e-car models by the end of the year, adding another 12 next year.
Read the article in German .
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S眉ddeutsche Zeitung / Frankfurter Rundschau
"On the run"
E.ON鈥檚 move to split off its conventional power generation business came as surprise to many politicians and听 industry, triggering concerns that the group ultimately wants to offload its liabilities from decommissioning nuclear power plants, write Claus Hulverscheidt and Karl-Heinz B眉schemann in the S眉ddeutsche Zeitung. Experts in Germany wonder if the money the utilities have put aside to pay for the decommissioning,听 part of Germany's exit from nuclear power, will be enough, they say.
The Frankfurter Rundschau also has an article about politicians鈥� concerns after E.ON鈥檚 move. Thorsten Knuf writes that Economy and Energy Minister Sigmar Gabriel, as well as Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks have rejected the notion that taxpayers will have to foot the bill.
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Capital
鈥濫.ON鈥檚 successful coup鈥�
E.ON has chosen a wise strategy by splitting off their conventional power production, writes Claudia Kemfert, head of the department Energy, Transportation and Environment at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), in an online opinion piece in Capital. The economic potential from the energy transition is 鈥済igantic鈥� globally, she says. Fears that the group just wanted to create a 鈥渂ad bank鈥� of unprofitable assets are 鈥渙verblown,鈥� Kemfert says, because some conventional forms of power generation such as gas could remain attractive and the company has committed to its financial obligations from retiring nuclear plants.
Overall, E.ON鈥檚 announcement provides a strong signal well beyond Germany鈥檚 border, Kemfert says.
Read the opinion piece in German
