The Mobility Turnaround as the Trigger for a Far-Reaching Transformation of Modell Deutschland?

Abstract

Modell Deutschland has proven to be extremely stable in the past. Nevertheless, the central sector of the German model of capitalism is currently facing profound transformations, the precise contours of which can only be guessed at. Inspired by regulation theory, this article discusses these emerging changes and argues that the international embedding of Modell Deutschland is of central importance not only with regard to the current double crisis of liberal capitalism but also with regard to the material dimension of the German export model. In addition, a more precise understanding of the reconfiguration of automotive value chains is required; these are changing as a result of digitalization, new mobility services, and changes in the manufacturing processes and the demand for raw materials in the course of powertrain electrification, and have a strong influence on both wage ratios and forms of enterprise.