i

Important security note: Warning of attempted fraud in the name of DWS

We have detected that fraudulent individuals are misusing the "DWS" trademark and the names of DWS employees on the internet and social media. These fraudsters are operating fake websites, Facebook pages, and WhatsApp groups. Please be aware that DWS does not have any Facebook Ambassador profiles or WhatsApp chats. If you receive any unexpected calls, messages, or emails claiming to be from DWS, exercise caution and do not make any payments or disclose personal information. We encourage you to report any suspicious activity to info@dws.com, including any relevant documents and the original fraudulent email. Additionally, if you believe you have been a victim of fraud, please notify your local authorities and take steps to protect yourself.

European automotive industry in crisis

Chart of the week
Europa
Industry
Autonomous driving

31/1/2025

Industry desperately hopes for support from Brussels

Completed Cars on a Factory Assembly Line

The Strategic Dialogue on the Future of the European Automotive Industry was launched yesterday by the .[1] Under the leadership of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the European automotive industry, social partners and other key stakeholders will work together to develop an action plan to lead the industry out of crisis. Particularly in the field of electric mobility, European carmakers appear to have little with which to counter the competition from China. Unless something is done, competitiveness risks being lost with important consequences for economic development in the and especially Germany.

Our Chart of the Week shows that the Auto index has significantly underperformed the broader Stoxx Europe 600.[2] While the leading index has risen by around 10% since January 2024, the specialized auto sub-index has fallen by roughly the same amount. In recent months, however, there has been a growing sense that the industry barometer may have found a floor. In our view, this may also be due to the expectation that the EU may provide some relief to car manufacturers in order to boost their competitiveness.

 

Clear underperformance of the Stoxx Europe 600 Auto Index

 

Sources: Bloomberg Finance L.P., DWS Investment GmbH as of 1/28/25

Many of the problems facing the automotive industry are homemade such as the temporarily significant delay in the development of competitive electric cars. Bureaucratic requirements imposed by politicians have not helped. The tightening of CO2 emission limits by the later this year, for example, is likely to cause significant problems for many manufacturers. These limits do not look achievable with internal combustion engines or hybrids. Manufacturers will have to sell more electric vehicles. If they fail to do so, they will face heavy fines from Brussels. According to the manufacturers, the expected fines could run into billions.

Manuel Kallweit, chief economist at the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), was quoted by the Stuttgarter Nachrichten newspaper as saying that sales of battery-only vehicles alone would have to rise by around 75%, or around 666,000 units, compared to last year.[3] We believe that dialogue with the EU is necessary to address these challenges. But carmakers need political action as well as words.