“The international motor vehicle manufacturers will make a significant contribution to reducing CO2 emissions from traffic. Depending on their corporate strategy, they aim to achieve climate-neutral mobility by the middle of the century at the latest. On the way to this goal, the VDIK companies will continue to rapidly expand their range of low-emission vehicles in a technology-open manner. The international manufacturers have already proven that they are serious about alternative drivetrains,” said Reinhard Zirpel, President of the Association of International Motor Vehicle Manufacturers in the run-up to the Climate Cabinet’s decisions.
In the long term, the climate targets set can only be achieved within the framework of a technology-open steering approach. Zirpel: “In addition to electric mobility, hydrogen, gas and climate-neutral fuels are also needed. It therefore makes sense to promote individual technologies with different, tailor-made instruments. In principle, it is essential that all sectors and above all the major CO2-emitting countries outside Europe contribute to climate protection”.
Consumer acceptance is crucial if low-emission vehicles and sustainable mobility solutions are to be successful. It is therefore essential to create a long-term, reliable ecosystem in which the purchase and operation of vehicles with alternative drivetrains are particularly attractive. From a complete infrastructure to tax and financial incentives – numerous concrete individual measures and building blocks must be seamlessly interlinked.
Zirpel concluded: “Mobility must remain affordable, only then will climate protection become a success story. In return, the incentives for electric driving that are still absolutely necessary must not lead to a massive increase in the price of mobility with conventional drives. In particular, a system for pricing CO2 emissions must do justice to this claim”.
