There is something rather old-fashioned about the way Germany views its car industry. Ultimately, the EU should not cave in to the German car industry. There is some support for the car industry in the German media. But car manufacturers are already letting people go: 50,000 jobs disappeared last year, more than in any other sector in Germany. “The future is electric,” von der Leyen said in her state of the union address two days before meeting the car manufacturers.