“The mobility transition is a major task, but it’s a team task. I come to you today as a committed member of this team: climate-neutral mobility in Germany and from Germany,” said the Federal Chancellor at the opening of the International Motor Show (IAA) 2023 in Munich. “For us as the Federal Government, this means we’re now creating the conditions for Germany to become climate-neutral by 2045 while at the same time remaining a strong industrialised nation.”

The IAA Mobility 2023 is one of the largest and most important mobility events in the world. It offers manufacturers, suppliers, tech companies, service providers and start-ups a variety of opportunities to present their offerings to a broad international and public audience. The annual International Motor Show is organised by the German Association of the Automotive Industry.

Electromobility has a major role to play in climate-friendly transport. This is because electric vehicles produce less CO₂ during use than internal combustion vehicles – especially when they are charged with electricity generated from renewable energy sources.

The aim was clear, said Federal Chancellor Scholz: charging must become as easy as refuelling – or even easier. “This is what we need if we want to have 15 million electric cars on German roads by 2030,” he explained. 

90,000 public charging points

The goal itself was not new, said Scholz: what was new was that it was now being put into practice. “Since we started at the end of 2021, the number of public charging points has already increased by more than half – to a total of more than 90,000,” he said.

“Within the next few weeks we’ll be the first country in Europe to introduce a law requiring the operators of 80 percent of all petrol stations to provide fast-charging facilities with at least 150 kilowatts for electric cars. So very soon, range anxiety will finally be a thing of the past.”

Expansion of solar and wind energy

It was easier to opt to buy an electric car when this decision was not only ecologically responsible but also economically viable, said Scholz. “Even now, petrol costs almost three times as much per 100 kilometres as electricity. So an average electric car often pays for itself within just five years,” said Federal Chancellor Scholz, adding that electromobility was therefore not just cleaner, but cheaper as well.

The state was making a contribution here too, said Scholz. The Federal Chancellor noted that renewable energy sources were being vigorously expanded: “And this expansion is progressing rapidly: in terms of photovoltaic plants, we’re currently at over 30 football pitches per day.” Speed was finally picking up in the area of wind energy too, said Scholz: “In June alone, 95 new wind turbines were commissioned and well over 200 new ones were approved.”

Dedicated to climate protection

The Federal Government was creating the conditions for Germany to become climate-neutral by 2045 while at the same time remaining a strong industrialised nation, said Scholz. “The Federal Government alone will be investing more than 110 billion euros in the course of the next year to promote the modernisation of our industry and climate protection. This means investments of 54 billion euros from the federal budget for the renewal of railways, better roads and new bridges, fibre optic lines and much more besides,” said the Federal Chancellor.

In addition to this, he added, there was expenditure of 58 billion euros from the Climate and Transformation Fund on programmes that also promote a nationwide charging station network, the ramp-up of hydrogen, energy-efficient building refurbishment and microelectronics. In order to ensure that these funds can be put to use quickly, the Federal Government is cutting red tape and speeding up all necessary administrative procedures.

Mobility as a promise for the future

“I firmly believe that mobility remains a promise for the future – not just for our country, but worldwide,” said the Federal Chancellor before taking part in an opening tour.

The IAA showcases the future of mobility – including cars, bicycles and public transport solutions. One particular focus is sustainability and the technologies that will shape mobile life in the future.