To see Germany’s future, look at its cars

As the election approaches, Germany s carmakers will face the same challenges as its new leaders: a need to innovate, tackle climate change and reassess its trade relationship with China. How this world-renowned motor industry navigates the road ahead could tell a lot about Germany’s future. 00:00‌ ‌-‌ ‌Germany‌ ‌faces‌ ‌numerous‌ ‌challenges‌ ‌ 00:49‌ ‌-‌ ‌Can‌ ‌Germany’s‌ ‌cars‌ ‌reveal‌ ‌its‌ ‌future?‌ ‌(or‌ ‌whatever‌ ‌the‌ ‌title‌ ‌is)‌ ‌ 02:13‌ ‌-‌ ‌Is‌ ‌Germany‌ ‌too‌ ‌reliant‌ ‌on‌ ‌trade‌ ‌with‌ ‌China?‌ ‌ 03:46‌ ‌-‌ ‌Germany s‌ ‌reluctance‌ ‌to‌ ‌digitalise‌ ‌ 05:09‌ ‌-‌ ‌The‌ ‌race‌ ‌to‌ ‌go‌ ‌electric‌ ‌ ‌ 06:41‌ ‌-‌ ‌The‌ ‌future‌ ‌of‌ ‌electric‌ ‌cars‌ ‌ ‌ 08:17‌ ‌-‌ ‌What’s‌ ‌in‌ ‌store‌ ‌for‌ ‌Germany’s‌ ‌new‌ ‌leader?‌ ‌ Read our special report about Germany after Angela Merkel: https://econ.st/3Cuw3Pj Find all of our analysis of Germany’s upcoming election: https://econ.st/3hQ0Zl9 View all our Europe section for all our coverage: https://econ.st/2ZgMqkb The Economist Explains: How do Germany’s elections work? https://econ.st/3hS6aB3 German voters face a bewildering array of possible coalitions: https://econ.st/3nS5dwq The warring parties’ plans for Germany’s economy are full of holes: https://econ.st/3Ewl7Tf Why Climate change will feature heavily in Germany’s election: https://econ.st/3hM3Knu Why German cars have the most to lose from a changing auto industry: https://econ.st/3EDZnF4 How new means of getting from A to B are disrupting carmaking: https://econ.st/3ClVz9o Who will rule the Teslaverse? https://econ.st/3hS5mMx Read about the new 800V electric cars that will recharge in half the time: https://econ.st/3lAivuM What the million-mile battery means for electric cars: https://econ.st/3nPV5nP Old electric cars are a raw material of the future: https://econ.st/3lG23sP Read about Volkswagen’s plans for electric cars: https://econ.st/3lEmkPK Listen to “The Economist Asks” podcast with Herbert Diess, chief executive of Volkswagen, about electric cars: https://econ.st/3CtU1dn