The German car industry's political muscle | DW Documentary

The German car industry's political muscle | DW Documentary

The German automotive industry has long played a key role in the country’s prosperity. It employs hundreds of thousands and enjoys cozy relationships with politicians. But the COVID-19 crisis threw a wrench in the works. What’s next?

The prosperous German auto industry has long been lagging when it comes to innovating new automotive technologies. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the industry is turning to decision-makers for help.

But just how far will policymakers go to help the car companies? Arguing that the COVID-19 pandemic has hit them hard, the auto industry is demanding the postponement of stricter CO2 limits and a purchase premium for new vehicles. They maintain that nothing less than the prosperity of the whole country is at stake. But is Germany’s success really dependent on the auto industry? And how much blame does industrial policy bear for the failures of the automotive companies?

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50 Comments

  1. Shelburn James on February 28, 2022 at 5:27 pm

    20 years roflmao



  2. MrRedsjack on February 28, 2022 at 5:27 pm

    Germany killed it’s auto industry 20 years ago when they decided to open dozens of joint venture factories in China and provided a century of knowledge to local partners that now are becoming competitors. Ultimately like it happened in many other industries the Chinese government will support Chinese owned companies over foreign owned ones regardless if they have their production located in China and, as it is already happening, they will begin to make the situation difficult for the foreign owned businesses until they leave while the German government will likely do nothing about it like they never done anything about the forced technology transfers and unbalanced trade rules.
    Short term thinking is a curse for politicians as well as CEOs in the west as all the incentives are in short term profits.



  3. Rick Sanchez on February 28, 2022 at 5:28 pm

    German stands for arrogance.



  4. 骑墙派祖师爷 on February 28, 2022 at 5:29 pm

    Whoever embraces the Chinese market will win the victory. The European Union is faster than the Americans. It has negotiated a trade agreement with China and can enter the Chinese market with low tariffs. But now, the agreement has been abolished.



  5. Vivek Shukla on February 28, 2022 at 5:29 pm

    It’s real media behalf of indian media



  6. Ena W on February 28, 2022 at 5:31 pm

    I wouldn’t make any business dealings with China. They only care about the bottom line. Money and nothing else.



  7. billie dharmajaya on February 28, 2022 at 5:31 pm

    the german cars is the best automakers in the world i like the german cars quality the power the inovation and everything this is what i can call as the perfect automotive automakers



  8. Teddy Raffudeen on February 28, 2022 at 5:33 pm

    I think that Germany will come from behind and make some fantastic electric vehicles over time. German engineering is not to be underestimated. Of course I’m an optimist. But that saying that necessity’s the father of invention holds true here.



  9. Cedric Cottage on February 28, 2022 at 5:34 pm

    German and Japanese car makers deserve the coming kiss of death. Purposely damaging and fighting against electric cars comes with punishment.



  10. Jay Craford on February 28, 2022 at 5:35 pm

    I’m an American and I love DW !



  11. Kamil M. on February 28, 2022 at 5:36 pm

    Auschwitz Birkenau German Death Camp



  12. SuperEtab on February 28, 2022 at 5:36 pm

    I will always love German cars. They just work well in the Canadian climate. Solid and well engineered.



  13. Andy Bray on February 28, 2022 at 5:38 pm

    As ecotricity pointed out fossil fuel is a finite resource



  14. B V on February 28, 2022 at 5:38 pm

    This is such a left wing abomination



  15. Teddy Raffudeen on February 28, 2022 at 5:39 pm

    I understand their fears. Hope something good happens in the end.



  16. Une Meta Proc Prof Mis Scns on February 28, 2022 at 5:40 pm

    I think that its crude, to jostle and joke with someone like Joan of Arc, forever, about casually in that crueler context, necessarily wasting – a woman’s – life.



  17. ParcelOf Rogue on February 28, 2022 at 5:42 pm

    So long as German cars continue at the cutting edge and stay ahead on reviews as they do, there will always be a place for them. China can undercut on cost but lacks ingenuity



  18. A Puzekat on February 28, 2022 at 5:43 pm

    Is social and environmental interests falling to the wayside.



  19. Hemanth Reddy on February 28, 2022 at 5:43 pm

    I can’t believe I heard Encom tower during this documentary!!



  20. Phoebus Apollo on February 28, 2022 at 5:50 pm

    The German car factories should start making boats and house boats. A Mercedes house-boat would be a dream. I would feel sad to die and leave it behind.



  21. Angelo Schettini on February 28, 2022 at 5:51 pm

    German needs nuclear power to reach less emissions



  22. Gam1 An1 on February 28, 2022 at 5:51 pm

    Pioneers of earth deterioration:
    1.uk
    2 EU
    3.usa
    4.japan
    5.russia
    6.china



  23. Aravind C on February 28, 2022 at 5:52 pm

    I’d love to see DW host a parade of all automobiles currently made in Germany …,



  24. Cars YoungtimerFreak on February 28, 2022 at 5:54 pm

    One of the problems is that environmentalists are car haters. From my own experience, discussing this with them, they want personal transport to go. Certainly from city centres, even if these cars are green. We all should be clear about that, they do NOT care about the workers. Most of them are very elite people. To me, as a car guy, they are THE enemy!



  25. FireOccator on February 28, 2022 at 5:56 pm

    Cars were a mistake.



  26. Thu Vu on February 28, 2022 at 6:02 pm

    How imcompetent and useless the eu is, only cares for their own interests when coming to the agreement



  27. training_for_good on February 28, 2022 at 6:03 pm

    The solution is to reduce the big pollution like sea, rail and air transport. There is the biggest pollution. It is possible to give up mostly air and sea transport for the benefit of the international railway with electric locomotives.
    Reducing pollution from small cars is more about education: Look for example, how many single persons are in the car during traffic and the rest of the seats from the car are empty? Do a law in that manner, (the single person can go with an electric car).
    If electric cars are the future, please look at how much pollution occurs with the manufacture of a battery and its recycling afterlife, etc…

    Solution:
    International electric railway,
    ban one person/combustion car and education
    planting a tree/person
    more clean energy
    developing hydrogen engine

    Attacking others without coming with real solutions is not a good thing. If your job allows you to do good, stop criticizing others and come with real solutions. Bann a thing and stoping there is not the solution. With this mental is already too late to do something. CANGE IT



  28. Michael on February 28, 2022 at 6:03 pm

    they should all just put plastic bags over there kids heads if they make decision in regards to money and nit the enviroment



  29. robert cazacu on February 28, 2022 at 6:05 pm

    I can assure you that the Germans will make the best electric cars they already proven they are the best in any car. So stop with this nonsense catching up😂😂😂😂



  30. Edo vonvelde on February 28, 2022 at 6:05 pm

    Many Thanks Dw !



  31. Beatrice Nkundwa on February 28, 2022 at 6:05 pm

    We have to give more importance to the secondary sector or blue collars.



  32. tigerion tigerion on February 28, 2022 at 6:06 pm

    Germany would be in trouble if they cannot find a way to make their battery on their own. Korean would not forever sell their batteries to Germans on affordable prices.



  33. Groud Zero War Updates Daily on February 28, 2022 at 6:06 pm

    Germany is Europe’s Japan



  34. Marc R on February 28, 2022 at 6:07 pm

    Every country has its keyindustry, that has huge leverage in their respective governments. So I don’t think this something surprising.



  35. Jon Creed on February 28, 2022 at 6:08 pm

    I see Scotty Kilmer host of this Doc, "All plastic engine covering, over-engineered Endless Money Pitts!"



  36. shiteetah on February 28, 2022 at 6:08 pm

    Cut jobs to reduce costs. Do you think the CEOs and shareholders are tightening their belts to save the automotive industry? HA!



  37. Jac Flasche on February 28, 2022 at 6:09 pm

    The German car industry is changing the worlds minds about German integrity. Diesel gate is not the only example of the German OEMs acting like the mafia. Hundreds of millions of dollars given to fake environmental scams to stop Tesla from opening their German plant is the latest crime. You could have been producing the world’s most advanced, safest, and most environmentally benign automobiles in Germany with German workers, and largely German tech and design but instead you decided to once again act like sociopaths and criminals. So now Chinese produced Teslas out-sell corresponding VW models in Germany instead. Way to shoot yourself in the foot.
    You will never catch Tesla, and they are obviously ethically superior to German competition. Instead of catching up to Tesla like they claim to be doing VW (the same company that supports the fake environmentalist that are tying Tesla up in inante red tape in Berlin with hundreds of millions of dollars in "donations") have been falling further behind Tesla in European market share itself. These could have been German produced Teslas. German Teslas which were going to be superior to the Chinese because of newer tech. Cheating once again, because you really can’t compete with Musk and company.



  38. Sunil Chauhan on February 28, 2022 at 6:09 pm

    Your information is really nice



  39. Gam1 An1 on February 28, 2022 at 6:09 pm

    Germany is functioned by the engines.



  40. Jānis Feldmanis on February 28, 2022 at 6:10 pm

    German cars is one of the best, but where there elsewhere produce the car, they have big population with money ,trained workforce and so on.They will not move to other country, because it will be stupidity.It`s not like you can outsource programing job.



  41. Chris Lau on February 28, 2022 at 6:12 pm

    The nosy brand frustratingly beg because port geographically film despite a jolly dancer. motionless, ritzy porter



  42. F G on February 28, 2022 at 6:12 pm

    Car is a thing of the past. Suburbs and cities built depending on car users are already disasters. We need electric trains, trams and bicycles.



  43. mastermind on February 28, 2022 at 6:15 pm

    We need more Mercedes W124 300Ds please



  44. Jesyce on February 28, 2022 at 6:17 pm

    There i something about career politicians who never held a real job that just makes me want to vomit



  45. Nicolas B on February 28, 2022 at 6:18 pm

    Coming to Paris from Luxembourg for a weekend – by train for 2 people – 260 EUR, by car – 50 fuel, 40 tolls, 50 parking – 140EUR. Car still means freedom.



  46. A Puzekat on February 28, 2022 at 6:18 pm

    8:50 she says, “It seems the government is in the pocket of the car manufacturers”. EU, America and the rest All corporatcracies. The environment suffers Japan is the car manufacturer that pushed the engineers to make the German engine more efficient. Never Europe or the Americas.



  47. wangner on February 28, 2022 at 6:19 pm

    Germany is the CAR. Stand tall.



  48. Phil Flip on February 28, 2022 at 6:19 pm

    So, what is the West going to do if the likes of China dominate future economic industrial activity and developing nations like those of Africa miss out conventional technologies and move straight into the likes of renewables? (They have lots of sunshine in Africa). Will the West move increacingly into protectionist policies like those being practiced by Trump and now Biden. Trade sanctions, isolationism. The command led economy even, we know where that tends to lead, the reduction of liberty and the growth of the State! It’s classic Hegelian dialectic, swinging from one extreme to another, we’ve had free market neo liberalism, which in fact ended up being more like corporate plutocracy, it may just end up as yet another mechanism for supressing human freedom and empowering some form of elites.



  49. Peni Nasemira on February 28, 2022 at 6:20 pm

    DAIMLER WILL ALWAYS EXITS FOREVER



  50. luciferin22 on February 28, 2022 at 6:26 pm

    An excellent documentary! Thank you DW! Keep up the great work!