The transition to electrification has proved expensive for Robert Bosch Gmbh, which is the industrial group’s full name.
Sales of electric cars are not increasing at the expected rate, and in Germany there are now rumors that they will introduce cutbacks.
The company is still investing heavily in increased electrification, but now CEO Stefan Hartung has said that the internal combustion engine will also play an important role in the future in an interview with The Pioneer.
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The transition takes 30 to 35 years
According to Hartung, it would take a full 16 years to replace all vehicles on the world’s roads with new ones powered by electricity, if the entire world immediately committed to producing only electric vehicles.
However, Hartung believes that the internal combustion engine will continue to be produced and used, and the transition to an all-electric vehicle fleet will thus rather take between 30 and 35 years.
This estimate is based on the length of production and replacement cycles for internal combustion engine vehicles.
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Not all cars will run on electricity
According to Hartung, however, the vehicle fleet will never switch over entirely to electric operation, but he believes that there will always be cars that run on other fuels.
Although Hartung does not believe that electric drive will take over completely, he still sees it as a promising market, where car manufacturers now have to adjust their expectations regarding the pace of the transition.
He also does not think that the EU has been too ambitious when setting its environmental targets, but points out how important it is to set clear targets.
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