Automotive Industry

Elon Takes Berlin Plans for Tesla Plant Jostle German Car Industry

Electric automaker Tesla announced its plans to build a major factory just outside Berlin this week. The move is a major development in an industry shakeup that is causing the upheaval of the entire German automobile industry. By DER SPIEGEL Staff Von Markus Brauck, Markus Dettmer, Simon Hage, Guido Mingels und Andreas Wassermann

Plans for Tesla Plant Jostle German Car Industry - VCG/ imago images

The End of an Era Will Tesla and Google Kill the German Car?

Threatened by entrepreneurs in California and by Chinese upstarts, German automakers are urgently trying to find their place in a new world of robots and electric cars. BMW, Daimler, Audi and VW set the standards for a century but have now fallen behind. By DER SPIEGEL Staff

Will Tesla and Google Kill the German Car? - REUTERS

Electric Dreams Porsche's Quest to Make Eco-Friendly Sports Cars

Porsche is trying to reinvent itself in the wake of Germany's diesel-emissions scandal by turning itself into an environmentally friendly sports-car company. It's a billion-euro bet with enormous possibilities -- and enormous risk. Von Frank Dohmen und Simon Hage

Porsche's Quest to Make Eco-Friendly Sports Cars - Porsche

Running On Empty Germany Lags Behind Asia in E-Car Battery Race

The Chinese conglomerate CATL wants to build Europe's largest electric car battery plant near Erfurt, Germany. Having failed to build a gigafactory of their own, German carmakers are worried the project represents a mortal threat. Von Alexander Jung

Germany Lags Behind Asia in E-Car Battery Race - picture alliance/Duan Changzheng / Imaginechina / AP / picture alliance / DPA

A Monkey on Their Back German Carmakers Have Lost All Moral Standing

The scandal over exhaust experiments on monkeys shows just how unscrupulous Volkswagen, BMW and Daimler are when it comes to manipulating the public. Anything goes when it comes to diverting attention from the dangers inherent in diesel. Von Frank Dohmen, Veronika Hackenbroch, Simon Hage, Nils Klawitter, Hannah Knuth und Gerald Traufetter

German Carmakers Have Lost All Moral Standing - DPA

New Cartel Suspicions Secret Price Fixing Among German Carmakers

After numerous scandals in recent years, the German automobile industry is facing scrutiny yet again. This time, VW, Daimler, BMW and Bosch are believed to have colluded on steel price fixing. Von Frank Dohmen und Dietmar Hawranek

EU Competition Commissioner Vestager 'The Auto Industry Is a High Priority'

EU Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager, 49, has made a name for herself by taking on Google, Apple and Starbucks. She talks to DER SPIEGEL about her current investigation into possible automaker collusion and Facebook's responsibilities to its users. Von Peter Müller und Isabell Hülsen

'The Auto Industry Is a High Priority' - Ezequiel Scagnetti / DER SPIEGEL

The Lure of Luxembourg A Peek Behind the VW Tax Haven Curtain

Volkswagen has established several companies in Luxembourg in recent years, worth a total of 17 billion euros. The structure has raised suspicions that the German carmaker is trying to sidestep the tax office back home. Von Simon Hage, Martin Hesse und Blaz Zgaga

A Peek Behind the VW Tax Haven Curtain - Paul Langrock / Zenit / Laif

Out of Nowhere The Three Students Who Uncovered 'Dieselgate'

The diesel emissions scandal has already cost Volkswagen 25 billion euros, and no end is in sight. But how did it start? In a corrugated iron shack in the forests of West Virginia, discovered by a trio of university students. Von Philipp Oehmke

The Three Students Who Uncovered 'Dieselgate' - Andrew Spear/ DER SPIEGEL

The End of a Legend 'Made in Germany' Label Badly Damaged By Car Scandal

Germany's diesel scandal occurred because the government has long been too lenient on the automobile industry. Deep ties between politicians and the sector allowed the situation to get out of hand, with enormous damage to the country's reputation as one of the world's best carmakers. By SPIEGEL Staff

'Made in Germany' Label Badly Damaged By Car Scandal - SIMON PRADES / DER SPIEGEL

The Cartel Collusion Between Germany's Biggest Carmakers

The diesel scandal is not a failure on the part of individual companies, but rather the result of collusion among German automakers that lasted for years. Audi, BMW, Daimler, Volkswagen and Porsche coordinated their activities in more than a thousand meetings. The exposure of a cartel. Von Frank Dohmen und Dietmar Hawranek

Collusion Between Germany's Biggest Carmakers - ILLUSTRATION: SIMON PRADES / DER SPIEGEL

Asleep at the Wheel German Leaders at Odds with Industry over Electric Cars

The government in Berlin fears that German automobile companies are lagging behind as electric cars pick up speed around the world. Faced with immense challenges and the potential loss of tens of thousands of jobs, the industry is still pushing its gas guzzlers. Von Horand Knaup, Michael Sauga und Gerald Traufetter

German Leaders at Odds with Industry over Electric Cars - REUTERS

VW Tsunami Falsified Emissions Push Company to Limits

Volkswagen is struggling to come to terms with the vast emissions scandal of its own making. Lawsuits, official inquiries, a potential ratings downgrade: The company is facing myriad risks. The ultimate price tag could be in the tens of billions. Von Dietmar Hawranek, Christoph Pauly und Barbara Schmid

Falsified Emissions Push Company to Limits - REUTERS

VW Scandal Time for German Industry to Abandon Its Arrogance

Arrogance and complacency are widespread in Germany industry, with Volkswagen becoming just the most recent example. For the German economy to remain healthy, fundamental changes are necessary. Von Armin Mahler

Time for German Industry to Abandon Its Arrogance - DPA

The Boomerang Effect Sanctions on Russia Hit German Economy Hard

The United States and Europe last week announced the imposition of stronger sanctions against Russia in response to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. German industry may be among the losers. Von Matthias Schepp und Cornelia Schmergal

Sanctions on Russia Hit German Economy Hard - REUTERS

Fuel-Cell Revolution Can Toyota Save the Electric Car?

Toyota has developed a new long-range electric vehicle powered entirely by a cutting-edge fuel cell. The project represents a dramatic departure from the goal of developing a mass-produced, effective, battery-driven electric car. But what does it mean for our future? Von Christian Wüst

Can Toyota Save the Electric Car? - Toyota

Merkel's Patrons Donation from BMW Owners Raises Eyebrows

Just weeks after the German election, Angela Merkel's conservatives received donations totalling 690,000 euros from the family that owns almost half of BMW. The payment coincides with Berlin's forceful intervention to halt tough new CO2 curbs for carmakers in the EU.