Berlin/Bonn/Frankfurt am Main – In-person sales of automobiles to end customers should be permitted again as soon as possible. This proposal was put forward by the leading automotive associations—the VDA (German Association of the Automotive Industry), the VDIK (Association of International Motor Vehicle Manufacturers), and the ZDK (German Motor Vehicle Trade Association)—as well as IG Metall in a joint letter to Chancellor Angela Merkel. Their shared goal is to resume economic activities as quickly as is medically safe.
In the letter, signed by VDA President Hildegard Müller, IG Metall Chairman Jörg Hofmann, VDIK President Reinhard Zirpel, and ZDK President Jürgen Karpinski, the top representatives highlight the increasingly dire situation facing manufacturers, suppliers, and the automotive trade—which collectively employ around 1.3 million workers in Germany: “Assembly lines have come to a standstill, showrooms must remain closed, and vehicle sales have virtually ground to a halt.”
The retail sector is facing an almost unbearable volume of pre-financed vehicles in stock that can no longer be sold in-store due to the mandated closure of its sales outlets. “Businesses cannot take on any more vehicles. As a result, supply chains and production are also coming to a standstill or cannot be restarted. We therefore request that, as soon as possible and in coordination with the health authorities and the federal states, the in-person sale of motor vehicles to end customers be permitted again following the next meeting between the federal government and the state premiers,” the letter states.
According to the signatories, this would minimize the risk of insolvency for a large number of companies in one of Germany’s key industries, along with all the resulting economic consequences and the serious financial and social repercussions of job losses for the affected employees and their families.
The letter states that infection control for customers and employees can be particularly well ensured in the automotive retail sector. The environment is characterized by comparatively large spaces and a small number of customers present at any given time. The minimum distances of 1.5 to 2 meters between individuals can be maintained much more easily there than, for example, in grocery stores, home improvement stores, pet supply stores, and flower shops. Queues at the checkout, crowds at the shelves, the passing of shopping carts from customer to customer, and the constant exchange of goods for cash involving face-to-face contact do not occur in the automotive retail sector. Especially in times of crisis, occupational safety and health protection are indispensable assets for the benefit of both employees and consumers. “The signatories will, of course, fully commit to complying with the prescribed health and safety measures.”
