electric cars are the future – for months now this Mantra echoes from Berlin by the Republic. No wonder, you could dissolve to the endless discussion about Diesel-driving bans in the air. Federal Minister Peter Altmaier (CDU) has recently provided one billion euros to Germany for a battery cell manufacturing. The policy message is clear: The economy has to finally do something about it.
Julia Löhr
business correspondent in Berlin.
F. A. Z.
One who has started already, is Dieter Kempf, President of the Federal Association of German industry (BDI). As it was mentioned at the annual press conference of the Association on Thursday on the topic of electric cars and lack of charging stations, because it quickly became personal.
Because Kempf is driving an electric car, a BMW i3. And since he does, he knows pretty exactly why the majority of people in the country from this technique is rather remote.
“a car for all walks of life”
“If I have to fill up in Munich at a charging station, I need to get at least seven Euro-power”, made Kempf his displeasure of air. “But this is only worthwhile, if the battery is as good as empty.” Later, he told on the sidelines of the event, as he was once with his i3 so “brave” to drive from his home town of Nuremberg to Munich and back again.
in The end he was chugging with a speed of 80 in the wind shadow of the Trucks, despite the built-in Range Extender – not to stay on the ground. With the last bit of power he had managed to just home, said Kempf. Relaxed Driving is different. Quite apart from the fact that the thrill has its price: Almost 40,000 Euro costs as a BMW i3 with a Range Extender without the Extras.
“I love this car,” stresses Kempf. But sometimes he despair of it. Without a filled reserve container in case of emergency, a small gasoline engine can power the Generator for a few kilometers – not afraid Kempf, according to its own statement on longer distances. Especially in cold weather like now if the range is even lower than usual.
