The German car-making industry develops without a plan or strategy, Sueddeutsche Zeitung’s Karl-Heinz Bueschemann said in his new book on the sector, Crashtest.
According to the book, reviewed by Financial Times Deutschland, German carmakers are only good in optimising what is here and now while they do not think enough on how the future motor vehicle world will look like.
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The book refers to the case of VW’s rejection to co-operate with Swatch’s co-founder, Nicolas Hayek on his idea for a revolutionary city car, saying it will not let itself be taught how to make cars by watch makers.
The German car industry has lost its sense of what the markets’ real needs are, for example in China and India, the book says.
As a consequence, the German car producers might crumble, threatening around 5m jobs in this and related industries.
