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Dr. Dirk Spaniel, a German auto industry veteran, sat down for a recent interview to discuss the Greens’ ideological struggle against the car and its impact on Europe. Dr. Spanier studied chemical engineering at Zellerfeld and mechanical engineering at RWTH Aachen University and worked for many years as a development engineer. He became a member of the German Bundestag in 2017 and now he is the AfD’s transport policy spokesperson.
Dr. Spaniel, from 2035 internal combustion engines will not be allowed in the EU.2 neutral. Is there anything behind the so-called “transition” other than the climate debate?
Obviously, using synthetic fuels or “e-fuels,” cars with internal combustion engines can continue to drive on CO.2– Neutral method. Moreover, the supply network already exists via petrol stations, so the problem we have today (rising energy costs for electric car owners) will not be too heavy. But despite these very sound arguments, supporters of the Green Party and other parties vehemently reject e-fuel. This shows that their reasons are ideological rather than rational. At least in part, the climate debate is a pretext. In any case, private transportation will become increasingly expensive. The freedom to decide when, where and how to travel has been experienced for decades, but unless Europe as a whole can effectively oppose this policy, it is no longer affordable for many. is not.
In your view, what are the necessary outcomes for European civilians?
Mobility needs to be affordable, and securing it requires developing the most efficient and resource-rich infrastructure. Considering total costs, including environmental costs, road transport remains essential for mobility. Directing investments in infrastructure and road transport will lead to efficient mobility and large economic returns. That will be your first step.
The second point is simply to promote openness to technology. In doing so, we perceive synthetic fuels as: CO2-neutral. Everything else continues from there. There will be competition for the best technology, and electric vehicles will also come under cost and reputational pressure. This creates the climate of innovation we need. Personally, I believe the internal combustion engine will win out in the end.
Germany’s FDP has campaigned for an open-minded approach to engine technology. What’s left of this now that the government is in power?
FDP writes coalition agreement to protect internal combustion engines and develop synthetic fuels. Nevertheless, they cannot or will not deliver on their promises? Volker Wissing, the FDP’s Minister of Transport, has let us down at EU level. If an open-minded approach to technology and e-fuels had been more than just a campaign slogan, it could have promoted them in the EU, where Germany has a lot of influence.
The EU parliament may soon include a majority of members with more national and civic concerns than international and ideological concerns. To what extent are other her EU countries in favor of an eco-friendly ‘transition’ and phasing out the internal combustion engine?
Germany is putting a lot of pressure here. A representative of the French Transport Commission, whom I asked specifically about this, replied that they had not evaluated the draft decision in detail.It was assumed that the Germans knew what they were doing. .
If the German car industry hits a wall, will there be political consequences for Europe?
As a result of these developments, Germany is becoming more and more a transitional society. Transit societies tend to nationalize industries. And that is exactly what the European Union is really aiming for. More country control, more transfer payments. Nationalization of industry leads to greater centralization at EU level. This is undoubtedly in the interest of the Brussels bureaucracy, but not necessarily in the interests of the liberal European political parties.
How do you see the future of the German automotive industry?
We need to look at the future of the automotive industry in different ways. On the one hand, there are large companies moving to countries with better conditions. This will lead to large-scale job losses in Germany and Europe, but not necessarily worsening the performance of each company: secondly, supplier companies, often medium-sized and employing fewer than 200 people, There are many They simply cannot relocate abroad, but in some cases are forced to close. This in turn leads to high economic volatility as national regulation becomes dominant and R&D becomes one of the pillars of the economy. However, we can only develop products that understand the manufacturing process. And when the production process no longer takes place in Europe, maintaining European GDP in services becomes a big problem. Britain has already experienced something similar.
Currently, Italy, France, Spain, Czech Republic, and other European countries are also big players in the automotive industry. Does the above issue apply primarily to Germany, or does it apply to these countries as well?
The countries mentioned have the advantage of lower energy costs than Germany. This means that you can get some benefit from relocating within Europe. However, they have been equally affected by the relocation of companies outside of Europe.
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