Questions and answers about transforming the energy system

Transport

1. What consequences will the Energy Concept have for our day-to-day mobility habits? For example, will less money be ploughed into the improvement of motorways in favour of the promotion of alternative, more environmentally benign types of mobility?

   Nothing will change as far as the state's function of satisfying mobility needs and providing a high-quality transport infrastructure is concerned. Indeed, alternative drive systems will help to ensure that mobility based on regionally available energy sources remains affordable in the long term as well.

2. Will the taxes on cars, flights, etc. be raised over the long term in order to make these means of transport 'less attractive' and to increase the appeal of alternative, more energy-friendly ways of travelling?

   No. The German government is relying largely on attractive incentives to help new means of transport gain acceptance. These include, for example, special parking spaces for electric cars, exemption from vehicle road tax and more favourable taxation of use as company cars.

3. So far, electric mobility has not made much of an impact in Germany. How will the infrastructure for electric cars be put in place throughout Germany within nine years?

   At the moment, there are about 5,000 electric cars on the roads in Germany. The German government has supported a large number of research projects and fleet trials through its Economic Package II, and it is continuing and stepping up this assistance with resources from the Energy and Climate Fund. Plans include organising regional "electric mobility showcases", which are to make it possible for people to see and experience electric mobility concentrated in a small space. By 2020, at least one million electric cars should be driving on Germany's roads, and it is hoped this figure will even reach six million by 2030. In future, electric vehicles will mostly be recharged in non-public places, i.e. at home or the workplace. More than 70 percent of households have a parking space of their own. The German government is also funding research into charging technologies. It is also improving the legal framework so that the private sector has incentives to establish a well-functioning network of public charging stations.

4. In the past, some of Germany's automotive manufacturers have been hesitant about developing electric cars. Will it ultimately be foreign companies who profit from Germany's electric mobility concept?

   The market and competition are the best drivers for competition. The principal responsibility therefore rests with the private sector and individual businesses, who are now making considerable efforts in the field of electric mobility and planning a broad range of models. It is important to secure and consolidate our technological competence and competitiveness by offering attractive products. Businesses and politicians have set themselves the common goal of making Germany the leading market and leading supplier for electric mobility. The implementation and further development of the German government's electric mobility programme is the subject of an ongoing dialogue under the auspices of the National Electric Mobility Platform, which networks the major actors in industry, research and civil society with the German government. The German government is convinced that, with all their technical know-how and economic efficiency, Germany's vehicle manufacturers will be capable of producing competitive electric cars. This will secure jobs and strengthen Germany as a place to do business.

5. Will measures be taken to improve access and links to public transport services, particularly in rural regions, so that citizens have incentives to leave their cars behind or even stop using them altogether?

   Public transport makes an important contribution to mobility, in urban areas just as much as in rural regions. However, it is primarily the local authorities and the Länder that are responsible in this field, and they mainly receive financial assistance from the federal level. It would be desirable for more services to be introduced, but this can only be done when they are economically justifiable. The German government also affirms its explicit support for an efficient rail transport system. The German government is not aiming to suppress motorised individual traffic, but to steer it onto a course that is sustainable, in other words viable in the long term from an economic, social and environmental point of view. The trend towards vehicles with lower-emission internal combustion engines will continue, but in the foreseeable future there will be an increasing number of affordable (partially) electric alternatives to the present-day internal combustion engine. The German government also supports the coordination of electric cars and public transport systems.

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