Car expert Stefan Bratzel believes that German manufacturers are increasingly lagging behind the competition from China when it comes to innovation. The innovative strength of Chinese car manufacturers has grown year on year and is now greater than that of German car manufacturers, warned Bratzel at a car congress in Zwickau on Wednesday. "This is a critical situation for Germany as a business location." To be fit for the future, manufacturers and suppliers in Germany would have to be at least as innovative as their cars are more expensive than those of the competition.
According to Bratzel, who heads the Center of Automotive Management in Bergisch Gladbach, the manufacture of cars will increasingly turn into a software business. Manufacturers and suppliers in Germany are finding this very difficult. He predicted a stronger price war for e-cars. However, the goal of the traffic light coalition of at least 15 million fully electric cars by 2030 will clearly not be achieved as things stand at present. In view of the development of new registrations to date, 7 to 8 million battery-electric cars in 2030 are realistic.
