LEIPZIG/BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - A total of 60 percent of all passenger cars produced in Eastern Germany last year were electric vehicles. This is according to calculations by the Leipzig-based Automotive Cluster East Germany (ACOD) initiative, based on figures from the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA). The analysis was made available to the German Press Agency in Berlin.
More Cars Produced in Western Germany
By comparison: In Western Germany, electric cars account for 35.1 percent of production, while the figure for Germany as a whole is 40.2 percent. In absolute numbers, however, more electric vehicles are produced in the West, as well as more cars overall. Key production centers are Bavaria, Lower Saxony, and Baden-Württemberg.
The high proportion of electric vehicles in East German plants is mainly due to the dedicated electric car facilities operated by Tesla and VW. VW, headquartered in Wolfsburg, converted its Zwickau plant into the first dedicated electric vehicle factory by 2020, where models for Audi and Cupra are also built.
Only Electric Cars Built in Brandenburg
In 2022, U.S. electric vehicle pioneer Tesla opened its only European factory in Grünheide, near Berlin. Until then, there were no car factories in that federal state. With this, Brandenburg became the first state in Germany where only electric vehicles are manufactured.
However, the largest production volume in the East is found in Saxony. In addition to VW Zwickau, the BMW and Porsche plants in Leipzig also contribute, where both combustion engine and electric vehicles are produced. BMW Leipzig was, in fact, the first German plant to produce electric cars when it launched the BMW i3 in 2013. However, demand for the small original electric model remained modest.
Automotive Industry as an Economic Factor
Jens Katzek, Managing Director of ADOC, told dpa: "Well over 200,000 people work in the automotive industry and its suppliers in Eastern Germany. That means more industrial jobs in the East depend on the automotive sector than in Western Germany." As such, Eastern Germany is a pioneer. However, pressure is particularly high there to ensure the transition to electromobility is successful.
The Federal Government's Commissioner for Eastern Germany, Elisabeth Kaiser (SPD), emphasized that one in four industrial jobs in Eastern Germany is tied to the automotive sector, which is under significant pressure due to international competition, tariffs, and the switch to climate-friendly drivetrains.
Government Representatives: Securing Sites in the East
On Wednesday, Kaiser has convened an "Automotive Industry Dialogue," where she plans to discuss strengthening Eastern German production sites with companies, works councils, the VDA, IG Metall, the federal states, and the federal government.
The government has already done a great deal to support the automotive industry, Kaiser explained. "Now we also need a clear signal from company headquarters that, in return, jobs at Eastern German sites will be secured." Environment Minister Carsten Schneider (SPD) stressed: "It is now crucial to shape the framework conditions so that pioneering sites such as Zwickau are secured for the long term."
IG Metall Demands Site Commitments
IG Metall chairwoman Christiane Benner demanded: "We now need investments and clear, binding commitments to production sites in Eastern Germany. The constant black cloud of relocation hanging over the workforce must be dispelled!" She advocated for so-called local content requirements for foreign manufacturers, following the principle: "Those who want to sell here must also produce a significant share here."
Andreas Rade, Managing Director of the German Association of the Automotive Industry, warned against shifting investments abroad. "We have a massive location problem in Germany. Politics must now do everything possible to create growth."/hrz/DP/zb
