A boost is required to get supply, production and sales back into swing

These are historically unparalleled times, also for businesses and business owners. The coronavirus crisis is leading to deep cuts in our economy, with hardly any sector left untouched. We have to assume that we are heading for a serious recession.

It is therefore becoming increasingly clear that the state must take just as decisive action to avoid long-term economic harm as it has in containing the virus.

We held very intensive discussions on precisely this issue today at a trade association meeting with representatives of light commercial vehicle manufacturers in Europe (ACEA). It was no regular meeting, with the main focus on the very challenging market situation and the programmes needed to help our businesses bounce back.

We believe that in times of crisis, commercial vehicles in particular fulfil a special function in society. Our vehicles do a great deal to keep supplies flowing to shops, supermarkets and the craft trades – many of them providing services that are now particularly needed and that have to be kept going, even during the lockdown. At the same time it is the tradespeople and small and medium-size businesses that are being particularly hit by the crisis. They therefore need help from the political sector in order to safeguard their businesses, supply their customers and preserve jobs. 

For us manufacturers the simple truth is: without a sales operation there can be no production. It was therefore important that our dealerships were able to reopen their showrooms, with the appropriate hygiene and safety measures in place. But that will not be enough. Support and state incentives are now needed to stimulate sales of new vehicles. A push, a boost is required so that the whole system of supply, production and sales gets back into full swing. In this process we should not lose sight of the important issue of climate protection. For this too a targeted renewal of the vehicle fleet will help. The discussion is now concentrating on a new ‘trade-in scheme’, which already worked very well at the time of the financial crisis after 2008. We consider this to be a good and correct route to take.