German carmakers agree to bet on battery and hybrids, fuel cells not ready
Date: Mar 22, 2019
BMW, Daimlerand VW have settled a dispute over how to manage the transition to green mobility, by agreeing to focus on electric and hybrid cars rather than fuel cells, which won’t be ready for many years, according to a dpa report carried by Focus Online.
At a telephone conference with the carmakers’ association (VDA) head Bernhard Mattes, VWCEO Herbert Diess, BMWCEO Harald Krüger, and Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche agreed that battery electric vehicles and hybrids were “the order of the day,” according to the report, which did not reveal a source.
The managers agreed that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles wouldn’t be market-ready for another 10 years.
Earlier in the day, BMW head Krüger had argued against betting solely on electric cars, saying it was important to keep an open mind on the various options because it was still possible that governments might compel carmakers to offer fuel cell models.
