Tübingen’s Lord Mayor: E-cars are wrongly designed
22. September 2019Tübingen’s Lord Mayor: E-cars are wrongly designed
Tübingen, 21.9.2019
„Is the change really taking place in the minds of the automotive industry or is it just being talked about?“ Boris Palmer, Lord Mayor of Tübingen, wanted to know during a dialogue between the citizens of the automotive industry at the International Motor Show (IAA). His criticism was triggered by the automobiles currently on display at the fair: „They no longer fit into our cities,“ said Palmer. They are too heavy and too wide. As an example, he cited the average Porsche, which in recent years has become 15 centimeters wider and 400 kilograms heavier.
The Green politician made it clear: „The Porsche no longer fits into the multi-storey car parks and I don’t build any new ones“. Even the electric SUVs offered by more and more car manufacturers are no solution for future mobility for Palmer, as there are not enough power lines for the necessary charging stations. „I’m not digging all of Tübingen so you can get your charging stations.“
Electric cars would have to be designed „quite differently from what they’re doing now“. However, he did not deepen this demand. He only continued to threaten: „At some point you’ll get a discussion about setting a maximum width for your cars if they get wider and wider,“ said Palmer.
The head of supplier Bosch Volkmar Denner, who was present at the IAA’s citizens‘ dialogue, answered Palmer by pointing out that the new vehicles would not only be heavier, but also safer, for example thanks to the numerous airbags used today. Bosch also supplies technology for „frugal vehicles,“ such as the electric transporters of the Post subsidiary StreetScooter. Daimler CEO Ola Källenius passed on the responsibility to the customers: „A weight increase is not something the engineers want,“ he said. „If the customer were willing to accept less range, we would offer it.“