Autobahn Goes Electro Once Again

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Jan 30, 2013, 08:00 ET

BERLIN and PASADENA, California, January 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

It's more than a touch ironic that it was a German band which created the electronic music classic 'Autobahn' in 1974.

Wind forward nearly 50 years and it will be a million German electric cars which will be 'fahren, fahren, fahren' auf der Autobahn' by the year 2020, according to the gathered opinions of industry experts in a study by Horvath & Partners and the European Business School.

"One million vehicles still seems achievable in Germany by the year 2020. This is going to lead to opportunities not only for the supply industry but also the automotive industry," said Marko Kolbe, Senior Manager Investor Consulting - Mechanical & Electronic Technologies at Germany Trade & Invest.

Bringing that target to reality will be one of the themes discussed at the Advanced Automotive Batteries Conference (AABC) in Pasadena from February 4-8, where Germany Trade & Invest will be present to keep visitors up to date with Germany's progress at the cutting edge of electromobility.

By the end of this year, BMW's i3 is set to become the first mass-produced 0% carbon emission electromobility vehicle. Full production will be in Leipzig, where BMW's high-tech plant is the first location in Germany capable of electro-vehicle mass production.

The cars will be powered by high-voltage batteries with electronic propulsion from BMW's Dingolfing plant in Bavaria, batteries which could be charged at any one of the 150,000 public charging outlets planned for Germany (more than any other EU country) by the 2020 deadline.

"The battery is one of the most integral parts of the vehicle," continued Kolbe.

"So it is crucial for investment and research to continue in order to get a more efficient and better value battery in the cars of the future."

Germany Trade & Invest is the foreign trade and inward investment promotion agency of the Federal Republic of Germany. The organization advises foreign companies looking to expand their business activities in the German market. It provides information on foreign trade to German companies that seek to enter foreign markets.

Germany Trade & Invest
Andreas Bilfinger
Email: [email protected]
T: +49(0)30 200099-173
F: +49(0)30 200099-511

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SOURCE Germany Trade and Invest