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https://thedriven.io/2026/05/09/how-legacy-car-companies-are-skewing-debate-and-slowing-transition-to-electric-cars/>
"Germany’s automotive industry is more advanced in its shift towards electric
vehicles than public debates suggest, but a minority of laggard companies is
skewing the debate and risks slowing the transition, according to a survey of
car industry managers by the University of Sussex and the Fraunhofer Institute
for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI).
Weakening combustion engine phase-out policies would “punish precisely the
firms that are best positioned to compete in the global innovation race towards
net-zero technologies,” the accompanying report warned, adding that managers
see only low political will to support the transformation.
The survey of 74 managers, completed in late 2025, found that a 61-percent
majority of firms are advancing rapidly towards e-mobility, while it classified
39 percent as “slow transformers”. Only one in eight companies surveyed had not
yet begun the shift toward electric mobility.
The decarbonisation of the transport sector remains a major hurdle in Germany’s
energy transition, as the country struggles to reduce emissions from millions
of combustion engine vehicles to meet its climate targets.
Ensuring the domestic car industry remains globally competitive while shifting
to clean technologies is considered essential for the long-term success of the
wider shift to a climate-neutral economy.
But recent policies have sent mixed signals: While the government re-introduced
subsidies for electric vehicles earlier this year, it has also pushed the EU to
soften its 2035 de facto ban on the sale of new combustion engine cars, citing
industry concerns, and has introduced temporary tax cuts on petrol and diesel
to cushion price increases resulting from the US and Israeli attacks on Iran.
“Germany should not just listen to the appeals of slow transformers, but also
take those companies seriously that have already invested in electric
mobility,” project coordinator Karoline Rogge said.
“It is precisely these companies that can bring Germany back to the forefront
of the global innovation race.”
The EU has not yet formally agreed to weaken the phase-out, and the report
strongly advises against this move."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
