Tariffs don’t work…

May 31, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: Automobiles, BMW, Cars, Donald Trump, Germany, Mercedes, Tariffs, Trade, USA, VW Leave a comment

Until they do.

Then an agreement is reached and the tariffs are lowered. We could ask Elon but this doesn’t seem like rocket science to me.

Trump’s Tariffs Cost BMW $11 Million A Day, So Germans Want A Deal – European carmakers are losing millions daily to US tariffs despite American production bases.

Trade wars rarely end well for anyone involved, and when the crossfire hits the automotive industry, the damage adds up fast. Nowhere is that more evident than in Germany, where the ongoing tariff standoff is racking up some eye-watering costs. According to a new report, BMW is losing a staggering $11.3 (£8.4 / €10) million per day thanks to U.S. tariffs.

We will not give in!

March 29, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Automobiles, Cars, Imports, Tariffs Leave a comment

We’ll just give up. Probably next week some time.

But we will not give in!

Germany leads defiance of Trump car tariffs, saying it ‘will not give in’ – President Donald Trump targets imported cars and car parts with a 25% tax in his latest tariffs.

Other major world economies have vowed to retaliate, with France’s president branding the move “a waste of time” and “incoherent”, Canada calling it a “direct attack”, and China accusing Washington of violating international trade rules.

Let’s talk

March 27, 2025 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Automobiles, Cars, Europe, Imports, Tariffs, USA Leave a comment

Talking is always good. But action is better.

Until today, the EU imposed import tariffs on US cars five times higher than the tariffs imposed by the US on European imports.

That’s changed now.

German minister, autos lobby call for urgent EU-US talks over tariffs.

In a word, “no”

April 26, 2024 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: Autobahn, Cars, CO2, Driving, Envirnoment, Germans, Germany, Greens, Speed, Speed Limits Leave a comment

Or nein, if you prefer.

Another Green daydream comes to its inevitable end. Sheesh. German Greens don’t even know what country they live in.

Germany’s Autobahn — finally time for a speed limit?

The majority of Germans want a motorway speed limit, and environmental groups say it would help cut emissions. But are their arguments strong enough to convince those opposed to slower speeds on the Autobahn?

PS: A limit of 120 MILES per hour (image) might fly, but I doubt it.

It HAS stopped making cars…

August 1, 2023 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: Automobile Industry, Automobiles, Cars, Ecars, Germany, Industry Leave a comment

Real cars. And with that, the fun for Germany has only just begun.

What if Germany stopped making cars? Imagine Volkswagen goes the way of Nokia.

“The future of the vw brand is at stake.” When Thomas Schäfer, the mass-market marque’s newish boss, gave a presentation to his management team in early July, he did not sugarcoat its problems. High costs, falling demand, growing competition—the list goes on. “The roof is on fire,” he warned, echoing one of the most noted alarm calls in recent business history—from Stephen Elop, who in 2011 compared his company to a “burning platform” shortly after taking the helm at Nokia, then the world’s largest maker of mobile phones…

The Real Reason Why Germans Won’t Stop Speeding?

June 8, 2023 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness Tags: Autobahn, Cars, Driving, German, Germans, Germany, Highways, Speed, Speeding Leave a comment

Like, duh. Because they like it.

This ain’t rocket science or anything.

The real reason Germans won’t stop speeding – If Germany would implement a speed limit on its highways, it could reduce millions of tons of carbon emissions each year. Most other rich industrial countries already have one. What’s behind this German love of speeding?

Export This

January 15, 2023 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness Tags: Automobiles, Cars, China, Exports, Germany, Industry Leave a comment

Germany still exports cars like hotcakes.

But China exports more.

China’s car exports surpass Germany’s after 54.4 per cent surge to 3.11 million in 2022, narrowing Japan’s lead – China has surpassed Germany to become the world’s second-largest car exporter after mainland exports jumped 54.4 per cent year on year to 3.11 million vehicles in 2022, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).

German Of The Day: Verbot

June 28, 2022 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: Automobles, Bans, Cars, CO2, Environment, Fossil Fuels, Greens, Political Parties Leave a comment

That means ban. The only thing the German Green party does well. And they do it with vehemence. And constantly.

Germany to support EU plans for 2035 ban on new fossil-fuel cars, says environment minister – Germany plans to vote in support of a European Union package that would effectively ban the sale of new cars with combustion engines from 2035, said the environment minister on Tuesday.

“If the package includes what the Commission suggested, banning cars that emit carbon dioxide from 2035, then we will vote in support,” Environment Minister Steffi Lemke told broadcaster ZDF.

Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) said at an event hosted by Germany’s BDI industry association last week that the German government would not agree to the plan.

It’s Not A Threat

February 16, 2021 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hi-tech, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Autos, Berlin, Cars, E-Autos, Electromobility, Factories, German, Germans, Germany, Gigafactory, Tesla Leave a comment

Tesla already has disrupted everything.

Tesla’s Factory Threatens To Disrupt German Auto Industry. The Germans are playing catch-up now. Scheiße happens. The innovator always leads.

This is a lucrative business for Tesla. The company made $3.3 billion in the past five years from 11 states in the U.S. that, like the EU, force automakers that can’t meet emissions reduction goals to buy credits from companies like Tesla. But this revenue stream promises to run dry in the coming years as EU automakers ramp up their electric vehicle fleets. But because Tesla’s entire fleet is electric, Birgit Dietze of IG Metall, Germany’s auto workers union, says the company is already ahead of its German competitors.

What A Shocker

February 14, 2020 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, History, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Autobahn, Automobiles, Cars, German, Germans, Germany, Speed, Speed Limits Leave a comment

Not. Again. Yawn.

The latest proposal to introduce a general speed limit on German autobahns has not received the needed support from lawmakers.

I’ve never understood this. From time to time the Greens & Co. suggest that Germans reduce their speed on the autobahn. It’s a fine idea, I guess. In theory. But that would be like asking Americans to turn in their guns. It ain’t never going to happen.

Der Vorschlag des Umweltausschusses, die geplante Änderung der Straßenverkehrsordnung um eine Höchstgeschwindigkeit von 130 Kilometern pro Stunde zu ergänzen, fand am Freitag in Berlin wie erwartet keine Mehrheit in der Länderkammer.

Observing Hermann

“Was interessiert mich mein Geschwätz von gestern?”

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