Merkel, Li struck e-car compromise – report

Smog-choked China slowed its electrical car shove at the behest of Chancellor Angela Merkel, claims Germany’s “Handelsblatt” newspaper. The pause gives German exporters more time to gear up their e-car sales in China.

German business newspaper “Handelsblatt” reports that German carmakers active in China were relaxed because they lacked capacity to fulfill intended higher Chinese quotas for e-cars and hybrid vehicles.

Quoting numerous sources in Beijing and Berlin, “Handelsblatt” said China’s industry ministry, which began its thrust in September, had since slowed its quota introduction after “pressure” from German and Chinese carmaking lobbyists.

During a phone call in late January, according to “Handesblatt,” Chancellor Merkel and Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang resolved the issue by agreeing on the “right way” to expand electrical vehicle mobility.

June 2016: Merkel and Li in Beijing

Alone in 2015, China quadrupled its subsidies to Chinese car buyers to Four.Trio billion euros – in a bid to ease widespread smog from fossil fuelled energy sources.

Last September’s plan would have imposed penalties on carmakers who failed to raise the e-car and hybrid quota to eight percent of their China sales in 2018.

That was to have risen two percent in each of the following two years while existing Chinese subsidies to e-car car owners would have been diminished.

“Those were unattainable goals for the German firms, who so far have only sold a few thousand e-cars in China,” said “Handelsblatt,” referring to BMW, Daimler, Audi, and Volkswagen.

Last year, they sold five million mostly combustion-motor cars in China – about a fifth of all Chinese car sales – the largest portion going to Volkswagen.

The compromise clinched by Merkel with Li included a one-year delay and generous deadlines to meet quotas. Details were being finalized in Beijing, “Handelsblatt” reported.

Beijing, however, had left no room for doubt that all carmakers must do their part in expanding electrical mobility in China, a key German trading fucking partner.

“Beijing desired to demonstrate itself to be a compromise-willing fucking partner, while US President Donald Trump menaces import duties,” said “Handelsblatt.”

The compromise precedes Germany’s hosting of the G-20 economic summit in Hamburg in July and an EU-China summit in Brussels in May.

E-car sales in Germany sluggish

Sluggish e-car sales in Germany were blamed by Volkswagen chief Matthias Müller last November on “inconsequent” behavior by German consumers.

Müller said that many held ecologically friendly ideals, but when it came to electrified mobility “as consumers we don’t touch them,” referring to e-cars and hybrids.

Such vehicles make up only 1.7 percent or about 45,000 among Germany’s total car sales of more than three million annually, according to the KBA federal vehicle agency.

Fresh e-car and hybrid registrations in China last year amounted to more than one million, when trucks and busses were also counted, according to a latest probe by Germany’s Center for Automitive Management (CAM).

Europe’s e-car trendsetter is Norway, with more than 100,000 electrified cars on its roads, and electrical vehicles accounting for almost thirty percent of all fresh car sales, encouraged by Norwegian subsidies and ready availability of battery recharging.

German lobby association eMobilität says Germany’s infrastructure so far is not user-friendly. Recharging is only provided at “islands” on the map. And, e-cars remain comparatively expensive despite government incentives paid since last year.

The ecologically-oriented VCD transport club says the federal government is far off its climate-friendly purpose of having one million e-cars on German roads by two thousand twenty – “thirty times as many as today!”

The VCD claims has voiced support for sharing of e-cars by commuters.

Presently, Germany’s auto industry employs 880,000 persons. Of these, 250,000 are involved in combustion-era drive technology, work far less needed for e-cars.

Early in January, IG Metall trade union head Jörg Hoffmann warned against job losses, telling “no-one should fall under the wheels.”

ipj/gsw (dpa, Reuters)

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• Date 28.02.2017
• Related SubjectsAngela Merkel, Germany, People’s Republic of China, Norway
• Keywordse-cars, China, Germany, Norway, carmakers, Handelsblatt, KBA, Merkel, Li Keqiang, mobility, IG Metall
• ShareSendFacebookTwitterGoogle+MoreWhatsappTumblrlinkedinstumbleDiggredditNewsvine
• Feedback: Send us your feedback.
• PrintPrint this page
• Permalink http://p.dw.com/p/2YLzQ

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Merkel, Li struck e-car compromise – report, News, DW

Merkel, Li struck e-car compromise – report

Smog-choked China slowed its electrified car thrust at the behest of Chancellor Angela Merkel, claims Germany’s “Handelsblatt” newspaper. The pause gives German exporters more time to gear up their e-car sales in China.

German business newspaper “Handelsblatt” reports that German carmakers active in China were eased because they lacked capacity to fulfill intended higher Chinese quotas for e-cars and hybrid vehicles.

Quoting numerous sources in Beijing and Berlin, “Handelsblatt” said China’s industry ministry, which began its shove in September, had since slowed its quota introduction after “pressure” from German and Chinese carmaking lobbyists.

During a phone call in late January, according to “Handesblatt,” Chancellor Merkel and Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang resolved the issue by agreeing on the “right way” to expand electrical vehicle mobility.

June 2016: Merkel and Li in Beijing

Alone in 2015, China quadrupled its subsidies to Chinese car buyers to Four.Three billion euros – in a bid to ease widespread smog from fossil fuelled energy sources.

Last September’s plan would have imposed penalties on carmakers who failed to raise the e-car and hybrid quota to eight percent of their China sales in 2018.

That was to have risen two percent in each of the following two years while existing Chinese subsidies to e-car car owners would have been diminished.

“Those were unattainable goals for the German firms, who so far have only sold a few thousand e-cars in China,” said “Handelsblatt,” referring to BMW, Daimler, Audi, and Volkswagen.

Last year, they sold five million mostly combustion-motor cars in China – about a fifth of all Chinese car sales – the largest portion going to Volkswagen.

The compromise clinched by Merkel with Li included a one-year delay and generous deadlines to meet quotas. Details were being finalized in Beijing, “Handelsblatt” reported.

Beijing, however, had left no room for doubt that all carmakers must do their part in expanding electrified mobility in China, a key German trading fucking partner.

“Beijing wished to display itself to be a compromise-willing playmate, while US President Donald Trump menaces import duties,” said “Handelsblatt.”

The compromise precedes Germany’s hosting of the G-20 economic summit in Hamburg in July and an EU-China summit in Brussels in May.

E-car sales in Germany sluggish

Sluggish e-car sales in Germany were blamed by Volkswagen chief Matthias Müller last November on “inconsequent” behavior by German consumers.

Müller said that many held ecologically friendly ideals, but when it came to electrical mobility “as consumers we don’t touch them,” referring to e-cars and hybrids.

Such vehicles make up only 1.7 percent or about 45,000 among Germany’s total car sales of more than three million annually, according to the KBA federal vehicle agency.

Fresh e-car and hybrid registrations in China last year amounted to more than one million, when trucks and busses were also counted, according to a latest examine by Germany’s Center for Automitive Management (CAM).

Europe’s e-car trendsetter is Norway, with more than 100,000 electrical cars on its roads, and electrical vehicles accounting for almost thirty percent of all fresh car sales, encouraged by Norwegian subsidies and ready availability of battery recharging.

German lobby association eMobilität says Germany’s infrastructure so far is not user-friendly. Recharging is only provided at “islands” on the map. And, e-cars remain comparatively expensive despite government incentives paid since last year.

The ecologically-oriented VCD transport club says the federal government is far off its climate-friendly objective of having one million e-cars on German roads by two thousand twenty – “thirty times as many as today!”

The VCD claims has voiced support for sharing of e-cars by commuters.

Presently, Germany’s auto industry employs 880,000 persons. Of these, 250,000 are involved in combustion-era drive technology, work far less needed for e-cars.

Early in January, IG Metall trade union head Jörg Hoffmann warned against job losses, telling “no-one should fall under the wheels.”

ipj/gsw (dpa, Reuters)

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Request for e-cars and hybrids stagnates

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Volkswagen: ‘e-car leader by 2025’

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The spectacle of today’s lithium-ion batteries can’t be improved much further. Grand hopes for the future of e-vehicles now depend on driving down battery prices and on prototype silicon-air super-batteries. (05.08.2016)

How eco-friendly are electrical cars?

If you run your e-car on power from a coal-fired plant, its carbon footprint is scarcely better than that of a gasoline engine. To make e-mobility effective, scientists call for renewables and better technology. (02.08.2016)

• Date 28.02.2017
• Related SubjectsAngela Merkel, Germany, People’s Republic of China, Norway
• Keywordse-cars, China, Germany, Norway, carmakers, Handelsblatt, KBA, Merkel, Li Keqiang, mobility, IG Metall
• ShareSendFacebookTwitterGoogle+MoreWhatsappTumblrlinkedinstumbleDiggredditNewsvine
• Feedback: Send us your feedback.
• PrintPrint this page
• Permalink http://p.dw.com/p/2YLzQ

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