Germany’s Car Industry Faces Crisis 🚗
German auto giants struggle as Chinese EVs surge. Is a radical shift needed to stay competitive? Strategic challenges ahead.

DW REV - Cars & Mobility
126.9K views • Sep 27, 2025

About this video
Germany’s auto industry is in crisis. Chinese EV manufacturers are racing ahead, backed by powerful government support. Can Germany’s legacy carmakers survive on their own? Is it time for a radical shift?
What if German automakers pooled their expertise and worked together?
Tradition, once a strength, now threatens progress. The endless debate over combustion engines is stalling innovation.
Could strategic mergers and global partnerships be the key to survival?
00:00 Intro – Survival or Titanic moment?
00:10 Crisis hits Germany’s car industry
00:22 Strategy debate: Alone or together?
00:44 Mega merger idea: BMW, Mercedes, VW
01:01 Expert views on mergers
02:02 A history of German auto mergers
02:42 Global examples: Stellantis & Opel
03:36 Survival by size? Or profits first?
03:52 China takes the EV lead
04:18 BYD’s rise in Europe
04:52 How China reimagined carmaking
05:19 Why Chinese EVs outpace German brands
06:10 The cost structure problem
07:11 Tradition vs. transformation
07:23 Jobs at risk in Germany
07:37 Political hesitation on EVs
08:35 Searching for the best way
08:39 Chinese proverb: Alone vs. together
08:44 VW partners with Xpeng
09:54 Pooling resources as survival strategy
10:09 German–Chinese cooperation today
10:39 Conclusion – Can Germany turn it around?
10:47 Outro – What do you think?
► Liked the video? Let us know by giving us a thumbs up!
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REV - The Global Auto and Mobility Show from Deutsche Welle
#DW #DWREV #futuremoves #german car crisis #germany #automotive #automobile #german #germancars #germancarbrands #automotiveindustry #crisismanagement #volkswagen #vw #bmw #mercedes #mercedesbenz #volkswagengroup #opel #stellantis
What if German automakers pooled their expertise and worked together?
Tradition, once a strength, now threatens progress. The endless debate over combustion engines is stalling innovation.
Could strategic mergers and global partnerships be the key to survival?
00:00 Intro – Survival or Titanic moment?
00:10 Crisis hits Germany’s car industry
00:22 Strategy debate: Alone or together?
00:44 Mega merger idea: BMW, Mercedes, VW
01:01 Expert views on mergers
02:02 A history of German auto mergers
02:42 Global examples: Stellantis & Opel
03:36 Survival by size? Or profits first?
03:52 China takes the EV lead
04:18 BYD’s rise in Europe
04:52 How China reimagined carmaking
05:19 Why Chinese EVs outpace German brands
06:10 The cost structure problem
07:11 Tradition vs. transformation
07:23 Jobs at risk in Germany
07:37 Political hesitation on EVs
08:35 Searching for the best way
08:39 Chinese proverb: Alone vs. together
08:44 VW partners with Xpeng
09:54 Pooling resources as survival strategy
10:09 German–Chinese cooperation today
10:39 Conclusion – Can Germany turn it around?
10:47 Outro – What do you think?
► Liked the video? Let us know by giving us a thumbs up!
► Want to see more? Make sure to subscribe
► Check our website: https://dw.com/REV
REV - The Global Auto and Mobility Show from Deutsche Welle
#DW #DWREV #futuremoves #german car crisis #germany #automotive #automobile #german #germancars #germancarbrands #automotiveindustry #crisismanagement #volkswagen #vw #bmw #mercedes #mercedesbenz #volkswagengroup #opel #stellantis
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Video Information
Views
126.9K
Likes
2.2K
Duration
10:58
Published
Sep 27, 2025
User Reviews
4.7
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