Stefan Hartung, CEO of the German engineering group Bosch, a major supplier in the automotive sector, believes that vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines will need at least 35 years before the electrification of road transport can be completed, writes DPA. Finally, certain categories of vehicles will not be able to be electrified, and internal combustion engine technology will have to be developed further.

If the entire world’s annual production of 90 million road vehicles were transferred immediately, it would take 16 years to electrify the entire world fleet of 1.4 billion vehicles, Stefan Hartung said in an interview published on Sunday on The Pioneer portal.

But in reality, internal combustion engines will continue to be produced and will eventually have to be replaced.

“To electrify all cars worldwide will take twice as long, at least 30 to 35 years,” Hartung said.

The Bosch CEO added that eventually certain categories of vehicles will not be able to be electrified, and the internal combustion engine technology will still have to be produced in Germany. “You can’t force customers outside of Europe not to use it,” Hartung said.

He emphasized that the necessary innovations are not yet available, citing agricultural machinery as an example. The combine must work up to 12 hours a day and consumes 250 to 300 kilowatts per hour. “Given the batteries that would be required for that performance, the vehicle would most likely go underground,” Hartung said.

However, Hartung dismissed the idea that the European Union was moving too quickly when it set a goal to phase out cars equipped with internal combustion engines. “When it comes to climate goals, it was important to set a goal first,” Hartung said.

The Bosch Group is a global leader in technology and services, present for 30 years and in Romania through six organizations, with approximately 9,830 employees as of December 31, 2022. In addition, there is also a branch of BSH Hausgerate GmbH in Bucharest, which is active in the home appliances market. (Source: Agerpres / Photo: Dreamstime.com)