"We're facing a paradigm change in the automobile industry," transport minister Wolfgang Tiefensee was quoted as saying by just-auto.com at a news conference in Berlin. "It's our goal to reduce energy consumption and explore new energy sources if Germany wants to keep its place in the world as environmental leader."
The main tools to be employed by Germany in support of their goal is to provide incentives for the research of battery and recharging systems development. Additionally, an incentive program to be set in motion by the government to buy some 100,000 EVs is also on the table. This so called "national electro-mobility plan" is said to have been approved by Angela Merkel.
"It is the federal government's aim that by 2020, there will be a million electric cars on Germany's streets," the plan says. "In 2030, this could be over five million. By 2050, traffic in towns and cities could be predominantly without fossil fuels."
However, some people in Germany look at the plan with a decent degree of skepticism, given the upcoming federal elections in the country. They call the plan too vague, with no specific buyer incentives yet specified. Still, with the recent experience with its famous scrappage program, Germany will undoubtedly find a way to make the new plan work as well, be it under the guidance of Angela Merkel or whoever will succeed her.
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