Can “High-Cost” Locations Be Protected by Premium Segments? Experiences from the Automotive Industry

In his article Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, University of Duisburg-Essen, shows that automotive premium segments firm up Germany’s position as an automotive location. The worldwide premium business is the domain of German car manufacturers. Fresh impulses, from the small premium vehicle category for instance, have given the segment a further boost. German automotive manufacturers will also be able to successfully assert their supremacy in the worldwide premium automotive business in the years ahead. The only downside seems to be electromobility and innovators like the US company Tesla, which is continuing to surge ahead in the premium market.