Contents Foreword 7 Facts, Figures and Data about the German Automotive Industry 13 The German Automotive Industry in the Context of the Global Economy 14 Facts and Figures – a Summary 22 The Situation in the Motor Industry 24 Developments for Trailers, Bodies and Buses 36 State of the Market for Automotive Suppliers 42 General Conditions of the Automotive Industry 51 The Transport Policies of the EU and the German Government 52 CO2 Regulation for Vehicles in the EU 58 The Trade Policy of the EU – Preparing the Way for Growth 61 Raw Material and Energy Supplies 65 Current Tax Policy 70 Transport and Infrastructure Policy 81 Road Traffic — Mobility Mainstay 82 Limiting the Burden of Charges 87 Infrastructure for Growth and Employment 91 National Field Trials with the Long Goods Vehicle 96 Liberalizing Long-Distance Bus Services in Germany 99 Environment, Climate Protection and Technology 103 Innovations in Environmental Protection 104 Climate Protection: German Brands Make Progress in Avoiding Emissions 107 Spark Ignition and Diesel Engines 109 Hybrid Technology 116 Electromobility – A Long-Term Option for Cars and Light Goods Vehicles 118 Fuel Cell Drive 126 Eco-Innovations – Protection of the Climate Begins with a Good Idea 127 The New Vehicle Fuel Consumption Labeling 129 Air Conditioners 131 Environmental Protection Related to Production 132 Materials in Auto Manufacturing 136 Joint Research Under the Aegis of the Association for Research in Automotive Technology 140 Safety and Technology 147 Traffic Safety in Germany and Europe 148 The Joint Project “Safety of Small Transport Vehicles” 151 Developments in Driver Assistance Systems 154 The 13th Technical Congress 159 Symbiosis of Active and Passive Safety Systems 160 Headlight Technology – Seeing and Being Seen 162 Revision of Vehicle Inspection Regulations 164 Theft Prevention 166 New Directive for EC Type Approval 168 Technical Harmonization of Radio Frequencies 170 simTD – More Safety and Environmental Protection 171 Quality Management 175 Quality Management 176 Logistics 187 The Logistics Situation in the Automotive Industry 188 The VDA Logistics Congress 2011 190 The VDA Logistics Award 191 The Practical Forum on Logistics 2010 191 The New “Electronic Invoicing” Concept 192 The Law, Sales and After-sales 201 Current Developments in Car Distribution 202 Sustained Development of Vehicle Servicing 204 Status Quo of EU Consumer Law is Guaranteed 206 European Contract Law – a New Approach 207 EU Design Protection for Innovations and Jobs 208 Ancillary Copyright for Press Publishers 210 Automotive Manufacturer Banks Continue Expansion Trend 211