Transport & mobility — Germany · Synthesis

Road safety among the best. The number of road fatalities stands at around 2,800 per year (Destatis), of the order of 33 deaths per million inhabitants — a level well better than France or Italy, despite motorways ("Autobahn") that are partly without speed limits, a recurring subject of debate.

A country of the car and the car industry. Germany is structurally dependent on the car, and its automotive industry is an economic pillar (see Economy category). The size of the fleet and distances explain a high carbon intensity of transport.

Transport, a sector lagging on climate. Transport is one of the sectors where emissions fall the least (see Environment category), and where Germany struggles to meet its sectoral climate targets — a warning point flagged by the Expert Council for Climate.

EV uptake well placed but undermined. The share of electric vehicles in new car sales had advanced strongly (≈ 18%), but the abrupt end of subsidies at end-2023 led to a marked drop in EV registrations in 2024 (KBA) — illustrating the sensitivity of the transition to subsidies.

A struggling rail network. Deutsche Bahn, long renowned, suffers from an ageing network, chronic delays and long-term under-investment. The success of the reduced-price regional pass ("Deutschlandticket" at €49) has, on the other hand, revived public-transport ridership.

Decarbonising transport. Meeting climate targets requires accelerating electrification, modal shift and rail renewal. This is the most lagging sector, where trade-offs (speed limits, fuel taxation, subsidies) are politically sensitive.

Reviving rail. Modernising the rail network (line regeneration, punctuality) is a priority and costly undertaking, at the intersection of mobility and climate. Financing, constrained by the debt brake, is a point of tension.

The future of the car. The transition of the automotive industry towards electric, in the face of Chinese competition, is a major industrial challenge (see Economy category). The pace of fleet electrification depends on it.

Public transport and the Deutschlandticket. The sustainability and funding of the reduced-price universal pass, which has boosted ridership, are debated between the federal government and the Länder.

The open questions. Three issues will shape the period: (1) decarbonising a lagging transport sector; (2) renewing the under-invested rail network; (3) stabilising electrification after the withdrawal of subsidies.

Placed in its environment, Germany combines good road safety and heavy car dependence, with volatile electrification and a struggling rail network.

Three takeaways. (1) Road safety: very good. At ≈ 33 fatalities per million inhabitants, Germany does markedly better than France (≈ 50) and Italy (≈ 52), even if the United Kingdom (≈ 26) remains ahead.

(2) Electrification: sensitive to subsidies. The EV share, close to France when subsidies existed, plummeted with their withdrawal — showing the transition's dependence on public support.

(3) A downgraded rail network. Contrary to its image, the German rail network is today less punctual and more degraded than several neighbours', for lack of sufficient investment.