Photo: Stefan Baldauf
You need only turn on your televisions for a couple of minutes to understand the problems Germany's Federal Chancellor is dealing with at the moment: refugees in the hundred of thousands. From that perspective, a visit to the Frankfurt Motor Show should have been like a vacation for Angela Merkel.
Still, we're talking about the biggest auto show in Europe. Some of the billions of euros used to feed immigrants will come from taxes paid by BMW, Volkswagen or Mercedes-Benz.
So what was so interesting in Frankfurt that brought Merkel all the way from Berlin? Just the future of the automotive industry. Our photographer followed her everywhere, and we think anybody can see the pattern: she's mainly checking out revolutionary new plug-in vehicles.
All the big German names have been dumping billions into the development of greener automobiles. While Volkswagen built a car that only needs a liter of diesel ever 100km, BMW has electrified everything from MPVs to sportscars and SUVs.
During the visit, VW Group chairman Martin Winterkorn underscored that "for Volkswagen the IAA is the most important motor show – especially at a time of great technological and social change. Our mission is to be the motor of that change."
Of course, Germany doesn't make the big bucks from the BMW i3 and Volkswagen XL1. So the chancellor was also interested in brand new volume cars that are sure to make a splash. Opel's Astra K was one of them, as was the second generation of the popular Volkswagen Tiguan SUV.
Daimler's mustached CEO was on hand to show Merkel the latest concept car. It's called the Mercedes IAA and uses the latest streamlining technologies to reduce drag and cut consumption.
Audi's contribution to the guided tour was the e-tron quattro, which could enter production soon, becoming the first all-electric SUV made in Germany. Porsche chose Frankfurt to debut the Mission E, a small sedan that can charge its battery up to 80% in only 15 minutes.
While Merkel didn't show much interest to Hyundai, Kia and Ford, she did check out the Bosh and Continental venues.
So what was so interesting in Frankfurt that brought Merkel all the way from Berlin? Just the future of the automotive industry. Our photographer followed her everywhere, and we think anybody can see the pattern: she's mainly checking out revolutionary new plug-in vehicles.
All the big German names have been dumping billions into the development of greener automobiles. While Volkswagen built a car that only needs a liter of diesel ever 100km, BMW has electrified everything from MPVs to sportscars and SUVs.
During the visit, VW Group chairman Martin Winterkorn underscored that "for Volkswagen the IAA is the most important motor show – especially at a time of great technological and social change. Our mission is to be the motor of that change."
Of course, Germany doesn't make the big bucks from the BMW i3 and Volkswagen XL1. So the chancellor was also interested in brand new volume cars that are sure to make a splash. Opel's Astra K was one of them, as was the second generation of the popular Volkswagen Tiguan SUV.
Daimler's mustached CEO was on hand to show Merkel the latest concept car. It's called the Mercedes IAA and uses the latest streamlining technologies to reduce drag and cut consumption.
Audi's contribution to the guided tour was the e-tron quattro, which could enter production soon, becoming the first all-electric SUV made in Germany. Porsche chose Frankfurt to debut the Mission E, a small sedan that can charge its battery up to 80% in only 15 minutes.
While Merkel didn't show much interest to Hyundai, Kia and Ford, she did check out the Bosh and Continental venues.
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