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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Germany’s energy transition is reaching a turning point where excuses are no longer valid.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

Fewer environmental tests and no mandatory labeling in supermarkets: The EU wants to relax its rules for handling certain genetically modified products. Representatives from the European Parliament and the Council of the 27 EU countries reached an agreement on this in the early hours of Thursday. Critics were unable to prevail with their consumer protection

Cherry, the internationally renowned peripherals manufacturer from Auerbach in the Upper Palatinate region of Germany, is ceasing its German production after 60 years. Cherry became particularly famous for its iconic keyboards, which are expected to continue being manufactured in the Far East. Production in Germany, however, is no longer profitable, according to management. (WinFuture, 27.11.2025)

The European Commission wants to secure access to raw materials such as lithium and rare earth elements for European companies. Industry Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné presented his plans for a European Centre for Critical Raw Materials in Brussels on Wednesday. This centre would coordinate joint purchases by several EU member states and create stockpiles. The aim

Battery storage systems are considered an indispensable component of Germany’s energy transition. They are being registered with grid operators on a massive scale, but most are not being built. The reasons are manifold, the consequences precarious. (focus, 02.12.2025) Example of a solar park in Zerbst In November 2025, a massive solar park covering 41 hectares