Reactions to government decision on e-car subsidies
Read more about the government's plans to subsidise e-mobility in a 威力彩玩法 article here.
Find more background on the Energiewende in transportation in a 威力彩玩法 dossier here.
听
Reactions from politicians, civil society and industry associations:
Federation of German Consumer Organisations (VZBV)
鈥淔ew profit, all pay鈥�
The Federation of German Consumer Organisations (VZBV) said it agreed with the overall goal of developing e-mobility by investing in the infrastructure. But it criticised that a buyer鈥檚 premium would benefit relatively wealthy people who could afford quite expensive electric cars, whereas all taxpayers would have to finance it. VZBV executive director Klaus M眉ller also warned of the danger that auto makers discard their otherwise regular discounts, and replace them with their share of the subsidy.
Read the press release in German .
听
German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA)
鈥淨uick implementation of measures to kick-start the market鈥�
The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) welcomed all aspects of the government plans. President Matthias Wissmann pointed out the need to kick-start the e-car sector and mentioned the success in other countries: 鈥淓-mobility grows faster in countries where the government provides the impetus.鈥� Germany is one of the leading makers of e-cars, but has a long way to go to be the leading market, said Wissmann.
Read the press release in German .
听
German taxpayers association (BdSt)
鈥淲aste of tax money鈥�
Reiner Holznagel, president of the German taxpayers association (BdSt), said e-mobility was already robustly subsidised with tax exemptions and research grants. 鈥淚n my view, it鈥檚 a waste of tax money to now even supply a buyer鈥檚 premium,鈥� said Holznagel.
Find the comments in German .
听
German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH)
鈥淏uyer鈥檚 premium for electric vehicles is the wrong approach鈥�
The general secretary of the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH), Holger Schwannecke, said that e-car models are not yet economically viable and do not meet mobility demands in all categories. 鈥淭here is still a great need for development and action, especially concerning storage technology and charging infrastructure. These two bottleneck factors cannot be bridged by a buyer鈥檚 premium for electric vehicles."
Read the press release in German .
听
Bosch
鈥淏osch welcomes the measures to promote electromobility鈥�
Automotive supplier Bosch welcomes the subsidy plans. Board chairman Volkmar Denner said that electric cars must also become part of the market for used-vehicles. Government grants in particular could contribute to the creation of a second-hand market by facilitating the gradual replacement of entire fleets with electric vehicles.
Read the press release in English .
听
German Energy Agency (dena)
鈥淚nnovative companies are key to the energy transition in the transport sector鈥�
German Energy Agency听(dena) chairman, Andreas Kuhlmann,听welcomed听the government鈥檚 decision, saying it 鈥渟traightens things out for everyone 鈥� politics, industry, trade and customers鈥�. He added that innovative companies are key to the energy transition in the transport sector.
Read the press release in German .
听
Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND)
鈥淐limate and environmentally friendly mobility must be supported 鈥� not the purchase of e-cars鈥�
Friends of the Earth Germany听(BUND) president Hubert Weiger objected听to the government proposal. He said it was important to put more emphasis on energy efficiency and to take into account the kind of electricity used to power the cars. Otherwise, the plan would not 鈥渁chieve effects that protect the environment or the climate鈥�.
Read the press release in German .
听
German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW)
鈥淚mportant impetus for electric mobility鈥�
The German Association of Energy and Water Industries听(BDEW) said development of publicly accessible charging station infrastructure was crucial for the success of e-mobility. In a press release, managing director Martin Weyand welcomed the current plans, but called for longer-term development beyond 2020.
Read the press release in German .
听
鈥淭he buyer鈥檚 premium is nothing but patchwork鈥�
The Green听Party鈥檚听representative in the Bundestag, Anton Hofreiter, criticised the government proposal as a half-hearted attempt at an energy transition for the transport sector, shouldered by the public. He called for more holistic reforms. 鈥淲hat would be right: If the owners of big and expensive fuel guzzlers paid. We urgently need to reform vehicle tax. [鈥 We need a strategy where we can embed the buyer鈥檚 premium 鈥� the switch to e-cars 鈥� in a stronger expansion of public transport.鈥�
听
Media commentary:
die tageszeitung
鈥淩eward for Dieselgate鈥�
Manfred Kriener criticises the e-mobility support plans in die tageszeitung and calls the federal government the 鈥渂edside rug of the auto companies鈥�. 鈥淭he biggest punchline in this game is that this guild receives buyer鈥檚 premiums as a reward at exactly the time when it stands as a criminal association that intentionally and on a large scale deceived customers, the administration and the public for years and smoked out the environment and the climate.鈥�
Read the opinion piece in German .
听
Handelsblatt Global Edition
鈥淓lectric car subsidies are not the answer鈥�
鈥淓lectric car subsidies are not the answer鈥�, writes Daniel Delhaes in Handelsblatt Global Edition and calls for other investments: 鈥淎bove all, the state has to support what is sustainably beneficial for society, even if a product fails: research and development of technology 鈥� not sales statistics.鈥�
Read the opinion piece in Handelsblatt .
听
Berliner Zeitung
鈥淪ubsidies also for fuel guzzlers鈥�
The subsidies will not only be used to finance e-mobility, as most of the total sum of 1.2 billion euros for buyer's premiums will probably be spent on plug-in e-cars, writes Frank-Thomas Wenzel in an opinion piece in Berliner Zeitung. 鈥淭hese are mostly highly-motorised models that easily consume ten litres or more per 100 kilometres on the Autobahn.鈥澨�
听
Frankfurter Rundschau
鈥淢anufacturers of company car fleets can be pleased鈥�
Car manufacturers will hardly notice paying their share of the buyer鈥檚 premium for new electric cars, as no customer pays the full list price anyway, writes Frankfurter Rundschau. This was particularly true 鈥渂ecause the plug-in cars are very expensive anyway and yield large margins鈥�.
Read the article in German .
