Autonomous Vehicles in Germany. An Exploration of the Technology, Legal and Regulatory Environment, and Customer Readiness

The automobile industry is one of Germany’s strongest and most important industries. But while German carmakers still struggle with the diesel emission scandal, the whole sector is facing a great revolution. Various companies are working intensively on the development of the next major milestone in mobility that incorporates the megatrends of electric, connected, shared and autonomous driving. The combination of these trends can reduce CO2 emissions and eliminate a significant portion of traffic jams while increasing mobility and space utilization in urban areas. But the technology of autonomous driving is perceived to be disruptive and thus many challenges and obstacles remain before the new technology becomes superior to human drivers. Jan Kachelmaier explores the status quo of the development of autonomous vehicles at German Manufacturers. The author identifies future impediments until market entrance and recommends managerial actions.