Since German automakers can’t “produce an electric vehicle with auxiliary heating.”
It comes as no surprise that the German government has an exclusive list of cars that officials are allowed to choose as company vehicles. According to German publication Bild, only four companies are approved: Audi, BMW, Daimler / Mercedes, and Volkswagen. This makes perfect sense since these are the Big Four German automakers. if you will.
However, with Tesla breaking ground with the intent to build its next automotive manufacturing facility in Berlin – Gigafactory 4 – the times are changing.
It’s important to note that this is not something the German government publicizes, though reportedly, Bild gained access to the exclusive list.
According to Teslarati, the gleaned information doesn’t point to a specific Tesla vehicle or vehicles that are now approved for government official use, but it did seem to suggest just one. It’s a Tesla car that leases for 11,555 euros per year.
More interesting is the fact that state secretary Sabine Smentek admitted:
“If it is not possible for German manufacturers to produce an electric vehicle with auxiliary heating, then we will include foreign brands in the list.”
Going even further, Beate Stoffers, state secretary for education already owns a Tesla. She shared about her choice:
“I looked at the CO2 values and range, and you also support a company that invests in the Berlin region.”
Government officials are given two hours to test drive the various cars on the list before making a decision about which car to lease for a year. They can use the cars for private engagements but must keep track of the miles driven.
This all just goes to show that the German government is well-aware of the fact that its “home” automakers can’t yet live up to Tesla in some ways. Based on the information and circumstances, we can only imagine officials are extremely excited to have the Silicon Valley automaker join its elite list of “German” automakers.
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