News

German car industry exaggerates job figures

July 15, 2009

The German car industry’s mathematics has been found to be somewhat dubious. The industry umbrella group, VDA, has for several months enjoyed telling the world that every seventh job in Germany is dependent on the car industry.

But the economics magazine Capital has analysed the provenance of this figure, and finds that at the root of the calculation is an assumption that if
there were no German car industry there would be noone driving cars in Germany.

An economics institute RWI says it would be more accurate to say every 20th job in Germany is dependent on the car industry.

Related Articles

View All
Press Release

Accepting US car standards would risk European lives, warn cities and civil society

European cities and civil society groups have warned that accepting lower US car standards will see more dangerous vehicles flood into Europe

Press Release

Plug-in hybrids pollute almost as much as petrol cars – EU data

Even in electric mode, PHEVs still burn fuel and emit 68g of CO2/km, on average. Their hidden fuel consumption costs the average PHEV driver €500 extr...

Report

Smoke screen: the growing PHEV emissions scandal

New analysis finds long-range plug-in hybrids and extended-range electric vehicles are a diversion on the road to zero emissions.