German Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck has described autonomous driving as a “great opportunity” for German automakers during a meeting with automotive industry leaders on Monday.
Habeck, a member of the Green Party and Minister of Economy, referred to the technology as an opportunity for manufacturers and the country’s economy, as well as a potential benefit for road safety, driving comfort, and the environment.
“We just need to pick up momentum now and not slow down,” he said during the meeting, as reported by the German news agency DPA.
He also added that the future of driving will inevitably be autonomous.
However, he acknowledged that the competition with car manufacturers in the United States and China is “immensely tough,” emphasising that Germany must “be the most innovative country.”
The meeting with major German automotive companies focused on the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) for autonomous driving.
The manufacturers are working together on a government-funded project, with automotive companies providing the data.
Habeck mentioned that the safety of autonomous driving would be enhanced through AI ‘training’ programmes.
In recent weeks, the German automotive industry has received more and more negative headlines focused on the financial pressures faced by German manufacturers, including low sales figures and high costs for the transition to electric engines, while their overseas business is experiencing ‘red numbers,’ especially with declining demand in China.
Meanwhile, Marcus Bollig, Managing Director of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), stated that more environmentally friendly engines and increasing digitalisation are transforming the industry.
Bollig emphasised that a leading role for the German automotive industry in autonomous and highly automated driving could be a decisive factor for future success.
On his part, Markus Schäfer, the Chief Technology Officer, Head of Development, and Procurement at Mercedes-Benz, said that the development of autonomous driving is gaining momentum.
He predicted that autonomous vehicles, known as Level 4, would be on the roads before the end of the decade.
He argued that framework conditions are needed in Germany and across the European Union to be able to test these vehicles in a “controlled environment,” as is being done in the U.S. and China.
“Safety is the top priority, but safety can be combined with innovation,” he maintained.
