#Transportation: Company Cars, Trigger to a Revolution?
The trigger to start the car (r)evolution in the German market especially is not by political-agenda rubbish, advertising or subsidising purchase of new (!) electric cars. Who does really think that such activities ever will change anything sustainably? Instead, let's look at what could be a powerful trigger: company cars. Companies naturally lease the expensive flagship models that private owners can't afford. And electric cars are just as if not even more expensive than gas-operated ones.
Often times Germany is seen as the automotive country. The country that offers unlimited speeding on the Autobahn. Volkswagen. BMW. Daimler Benz. Audi. You name it. But do we lead in electric or self driving cars? No, we don't. The manufacturers, especially BMW, do their part and push zero fuel models into the market. But honestly speaking, who can afford these beauties? I know zero people who own or lease an electric car on private budget. But I also don't know anyone who actually owns or leases an Audi Q7 S or the latest BMW 5 (both gas operated) either.
The German government currently subsidises purchase of electric cars. Well, if you give me 10% off on a total price of 80k EUR, I am still missing quite a pile of coins to actually afford that car. So subsidising is not getting us anywhere frankly speaking, it never really does. Also, advertising and evangelising on the greatness of electric cars is not making a fundamental difference. Today's electric car models remain beyond most people's financial reach. So what do we do with this situation, knowing that we all want to (well, most of us) see this technology and engine type to dominate our streets soon?
The solution? You guessed it: companies need to adapt electric cars on a large scale. If I had the choice of a company Tesla vs. any other car - Tesla it is. But I haven't had, and I know zero people who had the choice. Instead, companies keep handing the latest and terribly expensive sports cars to their sales and management. Not sure if they just don't know better. But imagine the short and mid term effect of the majority of company cars being electric soon: a few years later, they will be available as 2nd hand for way lower price to many people. Also, companies will kill their carbon footprint. And believe me, if you've once pushed that "Insane Mode" button of a Tesla, or arrived to a meeting in a BMW i8 - you never go back.
Neither the car manufacturers, nor politicians will find a way on their own. We have to stand together in this challenge and get all hands on deck to bring about change. If there is no consistent and joined up strategy to achieve a cleaner, healthier and brighter future - it just won't come. Let's pull the trigger together and start this revolution, it has to happen and if you ask me - it has to happen now. Not because we have sufficient amounts of chargers in place across the country already. Not because everybody likes electric cars. It's because: why waste a single day more with debating and hesitating. That change is going to happen anyway.
The question is: how will we, as a country and an economy, retain our position among the leaders in automotive - or fall behind Asia and the US in this forever if we keep beating around the bush? We need to act, we need to change and we must do it now. We are already seeing the negative impacts all across the automotive industry which struggles to adapt a new thinking. Let's help them out of this.
Often times Germany is seen as the automotive country. The country that offers unlimited speeding on the Autobahn. Volkswagen. BMW. Daimler Benz. Audi. You name it. But do we lead in electric or self driving cars? No, we don't. The manufacturers, especially BMW, do their part and push zero fuel models into the market. But honestly speaking, who can afford these beauties? I know zero people who own or lease an electric car on private budget. But I also don't know anyone who actually owns or leases an Audi Q7 S or the latest BMW 5 (both gas operated) either.
The German government currently subsidises purchase of electric cars. Well, if you give me 10% off on a total price of 80k EUR, I am still missing quite a pile of coins to actually afford that car. So subsidising is not getting us anywhere frankly speaking, it never really does. Also, advertising and evangelising on the greatness of electric cars is not making a fundamental difference. Today's electric car models remain beyond most people's financial reach. So what do we do with this situation, knowing that we all want to (well, most of us) see this technology and engine type to dominate our streets soon?
The solution? You guessed it: companies need to adapt electric cars on a large scale. If I had the choice of a company Tesla vs. any other car - Tesla it is. But I haven't had, and I know zero people who had the choice. Instead, companies keep handing the latest and terribly expensive sports cars to their sales and management. Not sure if they just don't know better. But imagine the short and mid term effect of the majority of company cars being electric soon: a few years later, they will be available as 2nd hand for way lower price to many people. Also, companies will kill their carbon footprint. And believe me, if you've once pushed that "Insane Mode" button of a Tesla, or arrived to a meeting in a BMW i8 - you never go back.
Neither the car manufacturers, nor politicians will find a way on their own. We have to stand together in this challenge and get all hands on deck to bring about change. If there is no consistent and joined up strategy to achieve a cleaner, healthier and brighter future - it just won't come. Let's pull the trigger together and start this revolution, it has to happen and if you ask me - it has to happen now. Not because we have sufficient amounts of chargers in place across the country already. Not because everybody likes electric cars. It's because: why waste a single day more with debating and hesitating. That change is going to happen anyway.
The question is: how will we, as a country and an economy, retain our position among the leaders in automotive - or fall behind Asia and the US in this forever if we keep beating around the bush? We need to act, we need to change and we must do it now. We are already seeing the negative impacts all across the automotive industry which struggles to adapt a new thinking. Let's help them out of this.
Hi Thomas, good to know that you have a good cooperation with your environment. If I had a choice, I would like to see more hydrogen fuel cell cars, but if we take the first step, a Tesla would be enough for me.
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