Where we´re headed

Throughout this unit, we look at how all of these changes are affecting the auto industry. There are several reasons for this: First, the automotive industry is a major employer in Germany and a big contributor to its economy, and thus the changes we discuss here will have a big outcome on the country’s economy. Second, the industry is global and operates in a rapidly changing consumer, ecological, and technological environment. The industry is therefore unique in that it faces all of these challenges at the same time. Finally, by seeing up close how one industry is affected by and responding to the general changes you read about, we hope to give you a better idea of the particular effects of each.