Let’s start with the facts: According to the Federal Environment Agency, German taxpayers subsidize the automotive system to the tune of around 17 billion euros a year – and that’s just for diesel subsidies, distance allowances, the company car privilege and the promotion of biofuels. At the same time, the transport sector is responsible for almost 30 percent of the EU’s total CO2 emissions, of which road transport accounts for 72 percent. In many other sectors, emissions have been reduced since 1990. But not in the transport sector. Introducing free public transport for all citizens would cost the state between 12 and 15 billion euros a year.

Money has never been the issue in Germany when we talk about innovations in the transport system; on the contrary, the costs that are so often cited against the rapid implementation of the transport turnaround are the worst possible argument. While each kilometer driven by car costs the national economy 0.11 euros, society gains 0.18 euros for each kilometer driven by bicycle and 0.37 euros for walking (mainly by reflecting health and environmental costs). Adding these values for the European Union results in a cost of 500 billion euros for the car and benefits of 24 billion and 66 billion per year for cycling and walking, respectively.

Is the automotive industry legitimately succeeding the tobacco industry?

There is a 50 percent chance that the global temperature increase will break the 1.5 degree target for the first time in the next four years. In Germany, the temperature increase is currently already 1.6 degrees. No wonder, we are the only country in the world that promotes plug-in hybrid cars, whose environmental emissions are demonstrably well above the manufacturer’s specifications. Is the German automotive industry the legitimate successor to the tobacco industry? But fortunately these times will soon be over. The supply crisis caused by the corona pandemic, caused among other things by logistical bottlenecks in China, as well as the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine not only show the moral inadequacies of our economic model, but also increase the pressure on all actors to take countermeasures. While representatives of the petroleum and automotive industries still point to the relevance of fossil, synthetic and/or bio-fuels, independent studies have long since shown that this is an energetic and, above all, sustainable aberration.

Fortunately, environmental and transport policy is now largely negotiated in Brussels and not in Berlin. This is the only reason why the phase-out scenario for internal combustion engines (diesel, gasoline) in Europe is as good as fixed for the year 2035. And while there are still individual car managers in Germany who want to make citizens believe how sustainable combustion engines are, numerous new players are presenting new business models and product concepts for electric cars – e-volution. At the same time, fossil witnesses are disappearing from the traffic environment. Gas stations are no longer needed and are transforming into mobility hubs, cultural spaces or kiosks. More and more cities such as Paris, London and Amsterdam are increasing the pressure further and announcing much earlier bans on fossil drives. This is not just environmental policy, but increasingly also economic and location policy. The battery is the symbol of a knowledge-based society in which quality of life, health and sustainability are core principles of economic attractiveness.

So let’s talk about the new mobility

80 percent of all journeys begin or end at our own front door. This is where the most important lever of the transformation process comes into play – not only in urban areas and suburban neighborhoods, but also in the countryside, Connecting the Countryside. More and more players are taking up the challenges and offering flexible mobility concepts in areas that are not suitable for this in the conventional sense. Rural areas are mobilizing – finally. On-demand ridepooling is proving to be the magic bullet for both modern public transport and private services. Both with a driver and autonomously. Then the bus comes when I need it and not when the timetable says I can call now.

Frontdoor Mobility defines new urban neighborhoods and new construction projects. If you ever visit a newly realized suburb in another European country, you can’t help but be amazed: high densities, a functional mix (50 percent residential, 50 percent work), a public space that is there for people and not for cars, and excellent public transport connections. Because the German parking space ordinance dates back to the 1930s, Germany is still stuck in the past here. New construction projects here mainly show a parking lot with attached housing. Concepts that will have a lasting impact on the female population in particular.

Femobility, the female perspective on mobility, is becoming increasingly important, and is not only a central trend of our time, but above all a wake-up call. The “gender mobility gap” that emerged in the 1950s still defines women’s mobility, which differs significantly from male mobility. Indeed, mobility in the 21st century too often means mobility by men and for men. But times are changing: women are increasingly becoming designers of a holistic mobility that focuses on inclusion, sustainability and a real public space that does not ignore the needs of half the population.

Diversity is also the recognized prerequisite for the development of sustainable products and services that promise real benefits – for everyone. The focus on female mobility patterns makes it clear that this change requires new ideas, especially for sharing concepts, to facilitate the everyday lives of highly mobile women. A mobility system that realizes femobility comes much closer to the traffic turnaround.

The traffic turnaround is first and foremost a mobility turnaround

In places where mobility offers are already high, the rate of motorization is particularly low. In Berlin, there are now more than thirty alternative means of transportation to get from A to B. The car plays a key role in such environments. The car plays only a minor role in such environments. More mobility means less traffic. That’s why we need a reassessment and rededication of public space. Today, between 50 and 60 percent of public space is under the control of cars, driving, standing or parking. All other modes of transport and uses share the rest: parks, pedestrian zones, cycle paths and footpaths, public transport stops. In the English-speaking world, there is a well-known phrase for this: We’ll get what we design. When we design roads, we get cars. When we design parks and green spaces, we get people and animals.

New spaces and new offers are the prerequisite for the transport turnaround, in cities, suburbs and rural areas. Above all, these support active, healthy and sustainable mobility. Almost daily, new concepts of the bicycle industry are presented and tested in everyday life – Xycles. Individuality and flexibility are the focus, whether with 2, 3 or 4 wheels, with a roof or without. In the context of new urban infrastructure practices, they are also becoming the new status symbol for more and more commuters. Thanks to battery support, the commute no longer remains the sole preserve of the car. The growth rates and prospects are rosy – the market for cargo bikes is expected to grow to 2 million in 2030 in Europe. The only things holding back the euphoria are logistical bottlenecks and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As I said, we need a new economic and social model to realize the transport revolution.