Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) officially opened the International Motor Show IAA Mobility in Munich on Tuesday.
The transport sector can and must contribute a lot to climate neutrality, "and we can see a lot of it here in Munich," said the Chancellor.
The auto industry is not part of the climate problem per se, but “above all a central part of the solution”.
"We have to get better there."
She is pleased that the trend is now clearly going towards e-mobility: "Now all manufacturers have everyday electric vehicles in their range." That was different at the last IAA in Frankfurt two years ago. A million e-cars are now open on the German roads. Merkel agreed with the car industry's criticism of the slow construction of public charging stations: "We have to do even better there."
This applies across Europe.
"When I look around here, I am absolutely convinced that the transformation to climate neutrality will be a success for our country and for our automotive industry," said Merkel.
The jobs could not be kept in Germany, however, if the framework conditions were not right.
“That will also be a discussion at the European level.
And that is why it is crucial for our future that we maintain the international competitiveness of our economy, ”emphasized Merkel.
A decisive point is the openness to technology, she said to applause in the hall.
E-mobility will be a pillar, but hydrogen and synthetic fuels are also contributions to the climate.