Hildegard Müller—Steering Germany’s Auto Industry Through a Critical Crossroads
Hildegard Müller is the President of the German Association of the Automotive Industry also known as the VDA. She has become an important voice in Germanys car industry. This is a time when the car industry is changing a lot and facing problems. Hildegard Müller has been in charge of the VDA since 2020. Her job is to represent the car companies and the people who supply them with parts. These companies include names like Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes-Benz as well, as thousands of smaller companies that make car parts. The German Association of the Automotive Industry or the VDA is counting on Hildegard Müller to speak for them. The woman in charge of the VDA is working to make sure the organization is asking for changes in policy that will help Germany stay important in the car making business around the world. This is because Germany is facing a lot of challenges from countries and big changes are happening in technology and the economy. The VDA is trying to help Germany deal with these challenges and stay a player, in the global automotive landscape, which is the car making business around the world. The VDA advocates for these policy changes to help Germany.
On 10 February 2026 Müller said something that should worry people about the health of Germanys industry. A new survey by the VDA shows that most companies plan to reduce or move their investments to countries. In fact 72 percent of companies say they will spend money in Germany. They will do this by moving projects to countries putting them off or canceling them completely. This is also affecting the people who work in the industry. Almost half of the companies in Germany have started cutting jobs at home.. Only a small number of companies have reduced staff, in other countries. The automotive industry is facing problems and Müller is warning people about this. The automotive industry is really struggling.
Müller thinks that Germany is not a place to make things because it is too expensive. The cost of energy is high. There are a lot of rules to follow. This makes it hard for companies to operate. She believes that the European Union is trying to help with the switch to power but they are doing it the wrong way. They are making many rules instead of giving companies reasons to make changes on their own. This is making things harder for the sector. Müller says that if Germany and the European Union do not make some big changes to help companies grow people will keep taking their money and jobs to countries. This will cause problems for the economy and for people in general. Germany will have a time if this keeps happening. The European Union needs to make some changes to help Germany. Müller is worried, about what will happen to Germany if things do not get better.
Müller has also talked about the things that are happening. Germany is still really good at making vehicles. In 2025 Germany made 1.67 million electric vehicles, which is a lot. This includes the kind of vehicles that you plug in and the kind that have batteries. Germany is the best country in the world at making electric vehicles. The people who make vehicles are really trying to make more of them and it is working. Müller says this is a thing and it shows that electric vehicles are getting more popular. Germany made electric vehicles in 2025 than they did the year before which is great news, for electric vehicles. Müller says that to be really successful in the run we need to have good supporting infrastructure. This includes things like charging networks and power that people can afford. Unfortunately Germany is not doing well as some other countries, like China in these areas. Müller thinks this is something we need to work on. We need to catch up with countries, like China when it comes to charging networks and affordable power.
Müller’s calls for change have been the same for a time now. When she talks to the press she always says that we need to make changes to the way we do things with money and business. She wants to make it easier for companies to compete with others and to reduce all the paperwork they have to do. She also wants to bring in money from other places.
Some of the things she wants to do include making energy cheaper changing some laws like the EU AI Act so that new ideas can happen and making it easier for digital things to happen faster. Müller’s plans are about making things better, for businesses and people. She thinks that if we make these changes we can get more people to invest in our country.
As global competition intensifies and the shift toward electrification accelerates, Müller’s leadership and advocacy reflect broader tensions facing advanced industrial economies: how to balance ambitious climate goals with vibrant domestic manufacturing, and how to remain globally competitive without compromising core economic strengths. The coming months will be crucial in determining whether Germany can translate Mülller’s policy prescriptions into tangible gains or if the industry will continue to hemorrhage investment and jobs abroad.
