Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG expressed the company’s support for the sustainable transportation initiative, at a top-level meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel during the electric mobility summit in Berlin.
"The automotive industry, energy suppliers, scientists and politicians must stand shoulder to shoulder," Winterkorn said.
The executive explained that multiple condition will have to be met in order to bring the electric mobility into the everyday world. He said that “the German automotive industry needed "focused and long-term research funding for our businesses and universities."
VW thinks that developing batteries and key electric components in Germany is not enough. Considering that China, the U.S. and France have already offered support for electric mobility and mentioning possible electric vehicles sales incentives in Germany, Winterkorn stressed the fact that the company is not pursuing a subsidy race, but is calling for "good and fair starting conditions".
In addition to affordable vehicles that offer decent performance, the country needs a nationwide charging infrastructure. The executive stated that easy access to recharging stations are just as important as the autonomy of electricity supplies.
“The customer must be entitled to choose both the tariff and the supplier," Winterkorn said, adding that this is the only alternative to stimulate competition and offering benefits to drivers.
According to the executive, in order to achieve a breakthrough for electric mobility, Germany must use regenerative energy sources such as wind, solar and hydropower.
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