So far environmentally friendly vehicles are on a road to success unrivalled in Germany. What ten years ago seemed to be an irreversible trend now has become the new standard: Today smart passenger cars with less weight, less exhaust and better mileage have replaced ever-bigger cars with ever-more horsepower and speed on German roads. Almost 70 per cent of all German vehicles are smaller models with an average of 30 hp, driving 100 km on just three litres of diesel; another 20 per cent are large family cars with 40 hp and a 4L/100 km, with a mere 10 per cent of luxury vehicles remaining that achieve 50 hp on 5L/100 km.
This remarkable progress was preceded by the unparalleled loss of reputation suffered by large car manufacturers among their clients and investors. Clients were less and less willing to believe that the car industry was the leading ecological innovator it had so long claimed to be; investors began to turn away when it became increasingly obvious that in the long run only those global players could be successful, who offered cars with low fuel consumption.
This launched a pronounced innovation drive, which reached its peak in 2015. The state-of-the-art vehicle construction and manufacture of internal combustion engines, complemented by further improvements, succeeded in gradually converting the entire automative fleet, such that 2021 saw a reduction in energy consumption and emissions by almost half compared to 2011. Drastic government measures like the introduction of a speed limit and a CO2-based car tax in 2011 moved things a step further: the speed limit of 120 km/h on German freeways reduced CO2- emissions by two million tons. Indeed, from today’s perspective, vehicles with 250 horsepower seem rather ridiculous. Hence yesterday’s cabinet decision to prohibit the construction of passenger cars faster than 120 km/h came as no surprise.
But advertising also deserves its fair share of credit in the breakthrough of environmentally friendly cars: only ten years ago the ads emphasized horsepower and size – now their campaigns convey the "small is beautiful" message of a smart compact car that uses only the energy it actually needs. "I don’t feel at all limited in my personal mobility," claims motorist Clara S. (37). "On the contrary: it was easier to afford my Oh-Five-er Beemer, I felt good purchasing it and I still can reach the speed limit on the autobahn effortlessly. Truth be told, I hardly need it at all now that public MobiCars are available almost everywhere in Germany."
