‘Das Auto’ is to be battery-electric

During a call, executives of VW, BMW and Daimler have agreed on a common approach towards electric mobility following Volkswagen’s recent demand for technological clarity. Insiders report the trio being in agreement that the near future belongs to battery-electric vehicles.

In the coming decade, electric mobility will be the only technology to enable carmakers to comply with environmental laws in the EU, claim the Germans. Apparently now, the bosses of the big three, VW, BMW and Daimler jointly agree that the focus will be on battery-electric cars. The trio do not think fuel cell cars will be ready for market in the next ten years.

Other manufacturers take a different view, of course, especially Asia’s big three, Toyota, Hyundai and Honda. While the former two launched working hydrogen models already – infrastructure aside – Honda as well is about to set free the Clarity Fuel Cell model this spring. Moreover, VW brand Audi is looking into fuel cell technology, and Daimler has made advances in hydrogen territory more than once.

However, for now, and in the shorter run, the direction for passenger electric cars appears clear. According to the Handelsblatt, the three companies want to promptly inform the industry’s lobby association, the VDA, of their unified position. They expect the association to draw up a consensus paper which would then represent their common position with governmental representatives. At its core, the carmakers want this to be the basis for the expansion of charging infrastructure and for a promotional backdrop, including channelling money away from diesel subventions.

Talking about the backdrop – this agreement is an escalation of a conversation VW had wanted to have before. Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess recently threatened to resign from the VDA, among his other general demands regarding the German government’s charging and EV subsidy strategy. When extrapolating on why VW no longer feels properly represented by the association, he criticised the VDA’s approach of “openness to technology”. Here he made it very clear that he sees “no alternative to e-mobility in the next decade” and recently even stated that “openness to technology is now the wrong slogan and will only lead to further system change in the future”. He, therefore, calls on the VDA, among other things, to massively promote electric cars at the expense of combustion engines.

Diess now apparently has the backing of the other large German car manufacturers. This is the result of a 40-minute telephone conference. According to the Handelsblatt, the heads of VW, BMW and Daimler are also under time pressure to work out a unified position. Next month a mobility summit could take place at the Chancellor’s Office to discuss the framework conditions for the expansion of electric mobility.

handelsblatt.com (original source in German)

Additional reporting by Nora Manthey.

6 Comments

about „‘Das Auto’ is to be battery-electric“
JSRMURTHY
22.03.2019 um 13:12
Battery EV is the right tech for saving the people Walking on the road from pollution. German gov Will acknowledge. It is expected that the big 3 reduce the cost by Amortization calculation for 15 years In that same spirit gov also should give a generous Subsidy The big 3 and gov should ensure that the Price tag is close to current affordable limit
Tom Zed
24.03.2019 um 07:24
Let us hope a collaboration of this calibre will also unify other auto-makers, beyond Europe and towards a uniform EV charging infrastructure. The current status quo (proprietary systems) seems absurd and Impractical.
haytham labib
25.03.2019 um 15:07
Yes ,BEV is the future of Auto Industry for next 30 years, while hydrogen cannot be the suitable direction.
Michael
08.05.2019 um 16:27
That approach is totally insane. With cheaper energy from sun, wind and water the coming 5 years, hydrogen will be a cheap alternative and gas pumps could easily be changed to hydrogen. And all of the extremely high risks for BEV will be eliminated :- High CO2 pollution during manufacturing, equal to 6-7 years of diesel driving - No solution for recycling of batteries - High demand and poor lithium-jon and cobalt supply - Increasing price on batteries for same reasons - Limited charge stations in all bigger cities - Power grid collapse, which is main reason why the Chinese now eliminates the subsidiary for BEV and increases it for FCEV - Explosion risks on BEV, while hydrogen is a light gas that with minimal explosion risks, existing FCEV cars are considered safe - Child laboring to get cobaltBesides that: - FCEVs are possible to recycle - FCEVs have minor demand for platina compared to lithium-jon and cobalt in BEVs - FCEVs are as close to climate neutral as it could be - Generating hydrogen from your sun panels could be used for both your home and for your cars in the future.The only thing that remains are politicians that realizes that with hydrogen production the society can be climate neutral and gives the directives to go there as soon as possible!
michael
10.05.2019 um 17:07
electricity from the sun can go 3x mileage in BEV than FCEV. FCEV also needs Battery. gas pump to 350bar station? easily? recycling of carbonfiber tanks. easily? Chia reduces subsidies because BEV is on the market, now. TCB is insane indeed.
michael
10.05.2019 um 10:01
the same amount of cheap energy from sun gives you 3 times the distance in an BEV compared to FCEV. so 1/3 of cost for infrastructure for same travel distance. FCEV needs Battery anyway.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *