Volkswagen’s woes illustrate Germany’s creeping deindustrialisation

The spectre of deindustrialisation has long haunted Germany. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 caused energy prices to spiral. The economy of Germany’s biggest trading partner, China, has slowed. And as competitors, Chinese carmakers are proving more than a handful for Europe’s biggest, Volkswagen (VW). Now the apparition looks worryingly solid. “The signs of…

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How China made electric vehicles mainstream

Annabelle Liang & Nick Marsh Business reporter & Transport correspondent Getty Images Almost half of all cars sold in China last year were electric “I drive an electric vehicle because I am poor,” says Lu Yunfeng, a private hire driver, who is at a charging station on the outskirts of Guangzhou in the south of…

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