INTERVIEW: Five questions for ...Andreas Moje
He is Automotive Manager at the German Surface Technology Association, Hilden
Interview: Heinz Käsinger
"Galvanotechnik": Mr. Moje, is the automotive age coming to an end?
Andreas Moje: Even if some people are ringing the death knell, the car will certainly not disappear quite so quickly! I can't yet foresee when the need and desire to be able to move around individually will become so irrelevant that there will be a mass departure from the automobile. But of course there is a growing group of people, especially those living in urban areas, for whom the car no longer plays a major role. But there can be no talk of the end of the age just yet.
Even e-mobility and autonomous driving are old concepts from the 20th century.
What should it be instead, air cabs and beaming? Seriously, society agrees thatCO2 emissions need to be reduced. E-mobility only shifts this from the vehicle to the power plant, but if more electrical energy is available from alternative sources, then e-vehicles will also benefit.
When it comes to autonomous driving, I believe that the technical challenges are so huge that it will be a long time before such concepts achieve a breakthrough. As a concept, however, autonomous driving does have a certain charm and, in my opinion, is not already outdated.
Why are politicians promoting a sham like e-mobility?
As I said, the deceptive package consists of the fact that theCO2 emissions of an e-vehicle today are only produced elsewhere and in terms of quantity, a modern combustion engine can easily keep up over its lifetime. The decisive factor as to whether it remains a sham in the long term will be how quickly the transformation in energy generation progresses. I'm more annoyed by the eco-label that electric cars have already been given.
Why didn't the car lobby prevent the chromium (VI) restrictions?
The car industry's reputation suffered years ago and it remains to be seen how much weight the lobby machinery would actually have had on the issue. The issue of chromium trioxide is extremely politically charged. Getting involved would certainly have been risky and could have led to negative headlines or "shitstorms". In the end, you are very likely to be the loser. In addition, vehicle design follows fashion trends, so perhaps there was no ultimate need to get involved.
How will the coating industry develop under the negative signs of a shrinking automotive industry?
Successful companies will expand their portfolio, serve new trends and compensate for declining sales with a broader range of products. In contrast, the traditional market for simple chrome-plated components and the number of coating companies will probably shrink.
The number of fastening elements that need to be coated with high-quality corrosion protection systems will tend to increase, but not necessarily in terms of the surface to be coated as the mass of components decreases. In addition, in connection with electromobility, there are challenges in contact coatings for high- and low-voltage components and connectors that the industry will have to face and for which it will find answers.
ABOUT THE PERSON
Andreas Moje
Whether on the plains or in the mountains, the ZVO Automotive Manager loves hiking. Here he is out and about in the Montafon.
