“If you look at electric drive technology, we have to be careful. You are increasing your dependence on very few countries,” Zipse said during a roundtable discussion in New York on the future of the auto industry. That automakers for raw materials for batteries, for example, are completely dependent on China.

“If someone for some reason can’t buy an electric car but needs one, would they rather drive their old car forever? If you stop selling a car with a combustion engine, someone else will.

ban combustion engine

Zipse has previously argued against a complete ban on the sale of cars with combustion engines in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The BMW chief argued that offering more fuel-efficient cars with combustion engines was critical from the point of view of profit and the environment. He pointed to the gaps in the charging infrastructure and the persistently high purchase prices of electric cars.

The current head of ACEA also argues that automakers must make plans to stay on top of high energy prices and expensive raw materials. For example, Zipse advises the auto industry to produce more efficiently and focus on recycling materials to keep costs down. “Now we have peak prices. They may not stay at the peak, but they will not go back to previous prices. Paying attention to energy consumption and circulation is important for the environment but more important for economic reasons.”