1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites
In focus
Israel and the crisis in the Middle EastTrump inaugurationGerman election 2025
Latest audioLatest videos
Live TV
Batterie für Elektro-Auto - Lithium-Ionen-Batterie für Chevrolet Volt
Image: picture-alliance/imageBROKER/J. WestImage: picture-alliance/imageBROKER/J. West

Auto industry

For more than a hundred years, carmakers have boosted economic growth, giving workers good jobs and shareholders healthy profits. Now, the industry is under pressure to transform amid climate change.

Skip next section All Content on this topic

All Content on this topic

DW Business Sendungslogo

DW Business - international

Court gives Tesla green light for forest clearing - Morgan Stanley to buy E*Trade for $13 bn
BusinessFebruary 20, 202011:21 min
REV Challenge Zugfahrzeuge

Challenge: Which SUV tows best?

It's not easy to safely tow caravans or trailers. DW tested five SUVs to see which does it best.
Cars and TransportationFebruary 19, 202008:29 min
A car passes by a dealership of Shanghai Volkswagen, a joint venture between SAIC and VW, in Shanghai, China, 17 March 2013.

Coronavirus keeps VW's China factories shut

The German carmaker, which was expected to resume production on Monday, has cited supply-chain and logistical issues.
BusinessFebruary 17, 2020
The giant logo of German vehicle maker Daimler's Mercedes-Benz sits on the top of its head office building in Beijing on October 11, 2010

German automakers' coronavirus headache

The virus threatens to halve February car sales in China, the largest market for Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes.
BusinessFebruary 14, 2020
Batterie für Elektro-Auto - Lithium-Ionen-Batterie für Chevrolet Volt

Battery powered

This week, we take a look at batteries and we hear about a citizens' assembly tackling climate change in the UK.
Nature and EnvironmentFebruary 13, 202029:59 min
Daimler chairman Ola Källenius holding a speech in front of a Mercedes electric car

Daimler doubles down on austerity

Daimler's new CEO has promised the luxury German carmaker "will change radically" after a 64% slump in net profit.
BusinessFebruary 11, 2020
DW Business Sendungslogo

DW Business - Europe

Daimler profit falls to 2.4 billion euro in 2019 - Report: Chinese firms snap up credit amid outbreak
BusinessFebruary 11, 202012:30 min
DW Business Sendungslogo

DW Business - Europe & Asia

Report: Chinese firms snap up credit amid outbreak - Daimler expected to announce profit fall for 2019
BusinessFebruary 11, 202012:21 min
DW Business Sendungslogo

DW Business - Europe & Asia

Report: Daimler to axe more jobs than anticipated - Chinese tourist packages to France suspended
BusinessFebruary 10, 202012:22 min
Elon Musk, CEO of Telsa with two Shanghai employees

Tesla market cap surpasses VW

Elon Musk has steered his electric carmaker into new territory as its market value surpasses $100 billion.
BusinessJanuary 23, 2020
A symbolic image showing a VW logo and justice figurine

Volkswagen fined in Canada over 'Dieselgate'

A Canadian court has fine Volkswagen heavily for vehcles imported with pollution-obscuring software.
BusinessJanuary 23, 2020
Mercedes Benz in Stuttgart

Dieselgate to cost Daimler additional €1.5 billion

The German carmaker will need another billion euros to cope with the fallout of an emissions cheating scandal.
BusinessJanuary 22, 2020
Exterior of Mitsubishi Friedberg, Germany

Mitsubishi Germany raided in emissions cheating probe

Prosecutors suspect foul play in tests on two types of diesel engines.
BusinessJanuary 21, 2020
Nissan's former chairman Carlos Ghosn speaks at a press conference in Beirut, Lebanon

Ghosn claims put a spotlight on Japan's legal system

Japan has defended the legal proceedings against Carlos Ghosn, the ex-Nissan chief who recently fled to Lebannon.
BusinessJanuary 9, 2020
Libanon Ehem. Nissan-Vorsitzender Carlos Ghosn in Beirut

Carlos Ghosn claims innocence after flight from Japan

Carlos Ghosn was one of the most powerful people in the business world until that world came crashing down.
BusinessJanuary 8, 2020
Carlos Ghosn

Ex-Nissan boss Ghosn escaped Japan aboard charter flights

Causing national embarrassment in Japan, Ghosn simply walked out of house arrest to dodge trial, fleeing to Lebanon.
PoliticsJanuary 4, 2020
DW Sendung Made in Germany

Ode to the O-ring

It's a master of withstanding pressure. Without it, engines stall, and taps leak. It's time to sing the praises of the humble O-ring.
BusinessJanuary 3, 202001:11 min
VW logo

VW in talks for dieselgate settlement with German customers

German consumers have been waiting years for compensation for their recalled vehicles.
CrimeJanuary 2, 2020
The former head of Renault-Nissan, Carlos Ghosn

Ghosn's Japan escape raises more questions than answers

Japanese are split on whether Ghosn's escape proves his guilt or confirms his fear that he couldn't get a fair trial.
PoliticsJanuary 1, 2020
DW Business Sendungslogo

DW Business - Europe & Asia

Ghosn Gone - Electric Mobility - Business 2019
BusinessDecember 31, 201912:22 min
Nissan Manager Carlos Ghosn

Ex-Nissan chief Ghosn skips bail, flees Japan

The famous businessman is facing graft charges which his lawyers dismiss as a conspiracy.
BusinessDecember 31, 2019
Motor mobil 12-19 | Toyota Hilux

Road to Success!: Toyota Hilux

Toyota has sold more than 18 million Hilux pickups.
Cars and TransportationDecember 17, 201904:34 min
DW Drive it! (Sendungslogo Motor mobil englisch)

Drive it! The DW Motor Magazine

Drive It! presents: an SUV on all terrains and a radical, uncompromising racing classic.
Cars and TransportationDecember 17, 201926:00 min
external

British auto industry in crisis mode

British auto suppliers are worried about Brexit. Some want to set up production in the EU.
BusinessDecember 12, 201902:47 min
DW Sendung Motor mobil, drive it, al volante vom 11.12.2019 - Gesamtsendung

Drive it!

The latest trends in tuning and the newest electric and hybrid-drive cars – automotive contrasts.
Cars and TransportationDecember 10, 201926:00 min
DW Sendung Motor mobil, drive it, al volante vom 11.12.2019 - Audi e-tron Sportback

Audi e-tron Sportback

Audi has rolled out a 2nd electric model: an SUV with coupé body contours: the e-tron Sportback.
Cars and TransportationDecember 10, 201904:09 min
DW Sendung Motor mobil, drive it, al volante vom 11.12.2019 - Toyota C-HR

Toyota C-HR

The Toyota C-HR's distinctive angular design helped to make the Coupé-High-Rider a bestseller.
Cars and TransportationDecember 10, 201905:19 min
Volkswagen logo

Canada charges VW over emissions cheating scandal

Volkswagen faces dozens of charges in Canada for knowingly importing cars that violated emissions standards.
BusinessDecember 10, 2019
Online-Startbilder für die Sendungen Motor mobil, drive it, al volante vom 27.11.2019

Drive It!

DW looks at ways to get around town easier and faster in the near future.
Cars and TransportationDecember 3, 201926:00 min
Online-Startbilder für die Sendungen Motor mobil, drive it, al volante vom 27.11.2019

Audi Q3 Sportback

SUV buyers want a sense of adventure. That's what Audi hopes to provide with the Q3 Sportback.
Cars and TransportationDecember 3, 201906:06 min
Mercedes-Benz worker

Daimler to cut thousands of jobs worldwide

German carmaker Daimler said the job cuts would help fund "large investments" needed to transition to electric cars.
Cars and TransportationNovember 29, 2019
SAIC Volkswagen's Urumqi plant in Xinjiang Province, China

Volkswagen defends presence in Xinjiang amid rights abuses

The German carmaker has come under pressure for its willingness to work with the Chinese government in Xinjiang province
BusinessNovember 26, 2019
Audi's Ingolstadt production facility in southern Germany

German carmaker Audi to slash 9,500 jobs by 2025

Audi has announced it will cut 9,500 jobs by 2025 to make itself more "lean and sustainable."
BusinessNovember 26, 2019
Peer and Silas Heineken from Grünheide/Brandenburg in Germany

German family gears up for Gigafactory

Just how exciting is Elon Musk's decision to build a Gigafactory in Germany for a Tesla-driving family on the ground?
BusinessNovember 22, 2019
A factory worker holds up a VW logo

German carmakers fined €100 million over cartel

Daimler, Volkswagen and BMW have been ordered to pay €100 million for forming a cartel to fix steel prices.
BusinessNovember 21, 2019
Gesamtsendung

Drive it!

A legend from Britain, perennial favorites from Asia and an upscale city car from Germany.
Cars and TransportationNovember 20, 201926:00 min
Audi A 1 Citycarver

Audi A1 Citycarver

Private cars are still in popular demand in big cities.
Cars and TransportationNovember 20, 201907:52 min
Symbol Ladesäule für E Autos

VW to spend €60 billion on switch to electric cars

Over the next decade, the German car giant plans to roll out 75 completely electric models and 60 hybrid vehicles.
Cars and TransportationNovember 15, 2019
Daimler chief Ola Källenius talks during IAA in Frankfurt

Daimler to cut Mercedes jobs to save €1 billion

Daimler is struggling with falling profits as it looks to make a costly switch to electric vehicles.
BusinessNovember 14, 2019
DW Sendungen Motor mobil drive it, al volante vom 13.11.2019 l Audi R8

Audi R8 V10

With 456 kW of power, the Audi R8 is a brute force on the road – but a thing of the past.
Cars and TransportationNovember 13, 201904:40 min
DW Sendungen Motor mobil drive it, al volante vom 13.11.2019 l Toyota mirai zero emission

Toyota Mirai

Mobility is changing. The trend is electric, but Toyota is putting its hopes on hydrogen fuel cells.
Cars and TransportationNovember 13, 201904:23 min
Motor mobil, drive it, al volante Golf 8

Traditional: Golf 8 World Premiere

VW presents the eighth generation of the million-seller to the world.
Cars and TransportationNovember 11, 201904:53 min
Mercedes Benz factory

Daimler to slash 1,100 management positions: report

The Mercedes-Benz maker will slash jobs worldwide as part of an austerity program.
BusinessNovember 8, 2019
Hiltrud Werner, VW-Vorstand, Made in Germany

From GDR worker to VW boss

She talks about her life and career path, all the way onto the board of Germany's biggest company.
BusinessNovember 5, 201905:41 min
Neustart in Zwickau, Made in Germany

Starting over again in Zwickau

Cars have been made there since 1904. The VW plant is switching to the production of electric cars.
BusinessNovember 5, 201905:34 min
external

VW set to lead sustainable electromobility

VW is intensifying efforts to go carbon neutral, says Thomas Ulbrich, the head of the VW plant where the ID.3 is built.
BusinessNovember 5, 201904:51 min
An electric car

Germany expands electric car subsidies

The government and auto industry have agreed to boost subsidies for electric car buyers and extend the program to 2025.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 5, 2019
Angela Merkel beim Produktionsstart des VW ID.3 in Zwickau

Volkswagen's electric future

Volkswagen is serious about electromobility. In the city of Zwickau, the carmaker has made a big move.
BusinessNovember 4, 2019
BMW factory in Spartanburg, South Carolina, in the US

US 'may not need' to levy auto tariffs

US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross says he hopes enough progress has been made in negotiations to avoid the measure.
BusinessNovember 3, 2019
external

Consolidation in car industry picking up speed

The planned merger between PSA and Fiat Chrysler is yet another sign that consolidation in the global auto industry continues unabated, says Arndt Ellinghorst, head of Global Automotive Research at Evercore.
BusinessOctober 31, 201902:17 min