Overview

• Transport Minister Winfried Hermann called on Germany’s auto industry to continue funding future technologies despite the downturn.
• He said climate targets require the sector as a partner, warning that progress will fail without the car industry’s participation.
• Hermann urged greater self-reliance in electrification, specifically battery technology, and agile development of the software-defined car.
• He argued there is no legal entitlement to double-digit returns and said companies could temporarily accept about five percent margins to maintain investment.
• The remarks were published by Stuttgarter Zeitung and Stuttgarter Nachrichten as Baden-Württemberg manufacturers report falling sales and profit slumps.