Bernhard Mattes is only since March 2018 president of the VDA, the most important association of the German automotive industry - now he retires again from office. Mattes will turn to new tasks, said the VDA. At first nothing was known about the reasons.
According to SPIEGEL information, Mattes has recently been increasingly criticized. There are "deficits in the political support" for the industry, a high-ranking automanager had said. The VDA sells below value.
Critics are Mattes lack of networking before
Critics told Mattes that he was not close enough to the decision-makers in Berlin and Brussels. Especially now that politics is sharpening climate targets, the car industry needs a stronger voice.
The auto industry is currently undergoing a fundamental shift towards more alternative propulsion such as electric mobility. Manufacturers are also under pressure due to stricter EU environmental regulations. Billions are needed for the conversion. At the same time, for reasons of climate protection, the criticism is becoming louder and louder on heavy sports off-road vehicles (SUVs), which, however, yield a high return.
Mattes had turned to the IAA against a tightening of the already applicable climate targets.