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Electric cars are currently selling slowly in Germany. VW boss Oliver Blume is “clearly” committed to the group’s electric car strategy. Electric cars are now “technically better”.
In Germany, the development of electricity is very much at a standstill. After subsidies in the form of an environmental bonus were surprisingly canceled in December 2023, new registrations of electric cars have recently decreased – also in March 2024. Car dealers had already had a poor intake of electric cars at the beginning of the year. 2024. Car rental giants such as Sixt and Hertz also significantly scaled back their electric car plans – mainly due to low residual rates and high repair costs for electric cars. Despite all the current problems, VW wants to remain firmly on its chosen course of the electric car.
Electric car in crisis: Manufacturers react differently
Manufacturers are reacting in different ways to the current electric car crisis: Mercedes, for example, wants to further develop the diesel engine – and some models of combustion engines will be built longer than originally planned. Things are different at the VW Group: Gernot Döllner, head of the Audi subsidiary, recently confirmed the brand’s commitment to the electric car offensive. Production of conventional drives at the Ingolstadt carmaker is scheduled to be completed by 2033.
“Technically superior”: VW boss Oliver Blume is firmly committed to an electric car strategy
Now VW CEO Oliver Blume has commented on the current state of the electric car crisis. In an interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) Blume explained that the transition to electric vehicles would take longer than expected a few years ago. However, he doesn’t think much of “throwing in the towel when there’s a headwind.” We continue to “clearly” rely on electromobility. So far, in his opinion, it has been “tech-savvy and environmentally conscious” customers who drive electric cars: “They see the benefits, because electric cars are now technically better.” the number of drivers.
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According to Blume, VW is working to ensure that only electric cars will be sold in Europe by 2035. At Stellantis, the plans are more ambitious: According to Stellantis Europe boss Uwe Hochgeschurtz, 14 of the group’s brands should be completely converted to electric drives by 2030. The British manufacturer Aston Martin, on the other hand, postponed the introduction of an electric sports car – due to the current low demand.