Germany is facing huge problems
Hard times are ahead for Germany, for which we are extremely poorly equipped. That’s what Thomas Schäfer, Head of Volume Brands at VW says. Not only new investments in electric cars and factories are on the brink for him, all of Europe is falling behind.
VW manager: Location Germany must worry
The head of the VW brand sounds the alarm: “In an international comparison Germany and the European Union are rapidly losing their attractiveness and competitiveness,” writes Thomas Schäfer in a post on the job portal LinkedIn. In terms of price, Europe is not in a position to keep up with other regions such as the USA, Canada, Southeast Asia or Africa.
According to the manager, the reasons for this are quickly found: “Especially with the Electricity and gas costs we keep losing touch. If we don’t succeed in lowering energy prices in Germany and Europe quickly and reliably, investments in energy-intensive production or in new battery cell factories in Germany and the EU will no longer be feasible.”
A sharp announcement to politicians to find solutions to the energy crisis. Schäfer accuses the EU of not reforming outdated regulations that are supposed to stand in the way of investments. “We have no time to lose. The EU urgently needs new instruments to avert the gradual de-industrialization and to keep Europe attractive as a location for future technologies and jobs,” continued Schäfer (source: LinkedIn).
High energy costs are also becoming a challenge when comparing prices between e-cars and combustion engines:
Invest your own money: VW must do more, complain less
However, some commentators do not want to accept the arguments that Schäfer puts forward under his entry on LinkedIn: It says there, for example, that Volkswagen cannot be politically dictated in other matters how the group works. Instead of waiting for favorable external circumstances, one should take their own money into their own hands for the transformation.
The group had previously questioned whether the construction of a new plant in Wolfsburg could still take place as planned. Schäfer’s statements do not bode well in this direction.
