The commercial vehicle and logistics trade fair IAA Transportation in Hanover opened to the public on Tuesday. More than 1400 exhibitors from 42 countries will be presenting their innovations in the Lower Saxony state capital by Sunday. Central topics are climate protection, alternative drives, digital networking and concepts for the growing delivery traffic in cities. The head of the automotive industry association VDA, Hildegard Müller, opened the industry meeting together with Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD) and Hanover’s Mayor Belit Onay (Greens).
“The IAA Transportation shows how we can achieve climate neutrality in transport and logistics,” said Müller. At the moment, however, the challenges are great. The Ukraine war has “far-reaching consequences” for the industry, the security of energy supply throughout Europe is stressed. “We live in serious times,” said the head of the association. “And we have to get down with the energy costs.”
Müller again called on politicians to lower the electricity tax to the minimum level permitted throughout the EU. In general, the German tax and duty system is “not internationally competitive,” she criticized. With regard to the debate about temporary reserve capacities of the remaining nuclear power plants, she said: “In the current situation, every opportunity must be used.”
Weil said it was a good sign that the commercial vehicle IAA had expanded into a more comprehensive mobility trade fair that addressed climate protection efforts more holistically: “This courage was worth it.” The energy crisis brings additional pressure to act: “I think we have to be wide awake to ensure that the industry remains competitive in this sensitive situation.”
