“German carmakers swap horsepower for software”

German carmakers are trying to prove they can re-invent the automobile, report Matthew Karnitschnig and Janosch Delcker in Politico. “With strong brands and deep pockets, German car companies argue they are perfectly placed to seize the opportunity to take the car from its fume-spewing present to a clean, connected future. But are they?” Car executives boast that they are up to the challenge but it is far from clear they can compete in a world where software is more important than horsepower. The authors argue that a lot is at stake: “Put simply, as the German auto industry goes, so goes Germany, and so goes Europe.”

Read the article in English here.