German car industry is a real heavyweight
German car manufacturers seem to have been in competition lately over who is able to produce the most negative headlines. We're talking about a real flagship industry in the country risking to take a severe blow.
Huge network
What would Germany be without its automotive sector? The industry comprises over 1,300 companies with a workforce of at least 20 people.
Big employer
Germany's car industry provides jobs for some 828,000 people at home. This accounts for no less than 14 percent of the country's manufacturing industry workforce.
Impressive sales
In 2016, the industry generated sales to the tune of 407 billion euros ($478 billion). Some 63 percent of that amount was acquired from overseas.
VW scam a game changer
In the wake of Volkswagen's admission to using emissions data rigging defeat devices in 2015, the number of diesel-powered vehicles has been declining.
Declining share
The share of diesel vehicles in new car registrations in Germany dropped to under 45 percent last year, hitting the lowest level in five years.
Stable overall output
But that hasn't affected total German passenger car production. It has hovered around 5.7 million units for three years now, up from roughly 4.7 in 1991.