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Voith’s industrial restructuring is hitting Heidenheim hard. The company plans to cut 2,500 jobs as part of a comprehensive corporate reorganization. The job cuts, strategic realignment, rising energy costs, and increasing competitive pressure form the economic basis for this decision. Heidenheim is symbolic of the challenges facing Germany as an industrial location, as its mechanical […]

The state-owned company Deutsche Bahn plans to purchase Chinese electric buses, directly contradicting political demands for greater economic patriotism. Especially during a period of weak economic growth, leading politicians are calling for industrial responsibility, while the state-owned company is placing orders in China of all places. This decision simultaneously strains the debate surrounding electric buses,

The Czech population strongly supports the expansion of nuclear energy. According to a representative Ipsos survey, 77 percent of citizens favor the further development of nuclear power. At the same time, 93 percent agree with the goal of ensuring the country’s energy independence. Against this backdrop, the planned construction of two APR1000 pressurized water reactors

The European Commission is working on a plan that will fundamentally restructure company cars across Europe, as only purely electric vehicles are to be permitted from 2030 onwards. Gasoline, diesel, and hybrid vehicles will thus lose their eligibility for new registrations in company fleets. This step not only affects businesses but also the leasing market,

After protracted negotiations, automotive supplier Musashi and the IG Metall union reached an agreement on a comprehensive package, but this agreement offers no future for Hann. Münden. Despite the compromise, the plant will close, resulting in massive job losses. Around 190 people will lose their jobs in the town situated at the confluence of three

Preckel Automobile, a car dealership, is facing a major insolvency with concrete consequences. Three locations are closing permanently, and around 500 jobs are considered to be at immediate risk. The affected branches are in Düsseldorf, Solingen, and Heiligenhaus. This development is not an isolated incident but rather illustrates the structural crisis in the automotive retail

The E-Schwalbe was long considered a beacon of hope for a successful fusion of nostalgia and electric mobility, but this vision failed to gain traction in the market. Govecs AG aimed to attract new customers with the classic design, while electric mobility, insolvency, and the iconic moped dominated public discourse. Despite significant media attention, sales

The blockade against gas production off the coast of Borkum is currently dominating the energy policy debate. Leading Green environment ministers are pursuing resistance, even though LNG imports from overseas remain accepted. This blockade reinforces the impression of political double standards, as the North Sea is given priority for protection, while gas production in distant

Germany’s energy transition is reaching a turning point where excuses are no longer valid. Either the ideological status quo continues, with rising electricity prices, increasing pressure on industry, and a declining attractiveness of Germany as a business location, or policymakers recognize their mistake and fundamentally change course. High energy costs are burdening businesses and private

The European automotive industry is facing a full-blown collapse, as regulation, technological shortcomings, and fierce competition intensify simultaneously. A recent analysis by the US consultancy Kearney describes a crisis that strikes at the very foundations of the sector. The phasing out of internal combustion engines is accelerating this structural upheaval, as established business models are

The new emissions standards mark a clear break with Biden’s policies, as Donald Trump prioritizes economic relief over strict climate action. The focus is on revised emissions regulations designed to give the auto industry more leeway. This gives combustion engines a new lease on life in the US market, as lower requirements reduce production and

Despite its own bans, Germany continues to rely on fossil fuels, as a new LNG contract binds the country to Patagonia for the long term. Liquefied natural gas from southern Argentina is intended to strengthen energy security, even though fracking is causing massive damage there. The deal links economic interests with global responsibility, but social

Solar subsidies are facing a profound change, as the German government plans to completely abolish fixed feed-in tariffs. The energy policy debate is already increasingly focused on the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) and future market prices, while the expansion of photovoltaics must accept new conditions. At the same time, electricity prices are coming into

While Europe is hotly debating electromobility, a development with enormous impact is quietly unfolding. Millions of gasoline-powered cars from China are flooding international markets, driven by state industrial policy, aggressive export strategies, and a shift in the balance of power within the automotive market. This advance has caught Western manufacturers unprepared, as it follows different

In Schweinfurt, the trade tax is at the heart of current austerity measures, as the city’s financial distress has reached a critical level with a budget shortfall of approximately 16 million euros. To close this gap, the municipality plans to raise the trade tax multiplier from 370 to 400 percent starting in 2026, an increase