Beyond the Buzz: Rethinking Cars, Tech & Truth with Ed Niedermeyer

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free to contact me! **Tesla: progress that isn't progress at all**
Ed impressively explained to me how Tesla has managed to squeeze
new technologies such as the electric drive into an old, familiar
product - the American car - in such a way that hardly anything
changes. Long range, big battery, big car. The illusion of the
future without people having to question their behavior. And that
is precisely the problem. “Tesla sells us the old as something new
- and people love it because they don't have to change anything.” I
also often see that we in Germany - especially in the automotive
industry - still think too much in traditional patterns. Instead of
seizing the opportunities for real transformation, we cling to what
has gone before. And still praise Elon Musk as a visionary, even
though he is blocking precisely this change. **Electric cars are
not automatically climate-friendly** Ed has raised an important
point: The way we talk about e-mobility is preventing the
transportation transition. If range is everything, we need huge
batteries. And then e-cars are only for the rich. The real
potential of electromobility lies in small, lightweight vehicles
for short distances. And yes - maybe even an e-bike or a scooter.
“The average trip in the USA is six miles long - why do we need 300
miles of range?” I also often ask myself why we don't manage to
align mobility with real needs. Why do we still define freedom in
terms of ownership - instead of shared, accessible and needs-based
offers? **Autonomous driving: Wishful thinking with side effects**
Another topic was Tesla's promise of “Full Self Driving”. For
years, customers have been led to believe that their cars would
soon drive themselves. But the technology still doesn't deliver. On
the contrary: it brings with it new risks because drivers rely too
much on the system - and react too slowly in an emergency.
“Autopilot sounds like control, but in reality it makes us worse
drivers.” I am convinced that autonomous driving can make sense -
but not in a private car in the middle of the city center. I see
much more potential in rural areas, for on-demand services or
shared fleets. But this presupposes that we finally stop seeing the
car as the universal solution to all mobility issues. **How
technology is changing our view of mobility** What I appreciate
about Ed's work: He doesn't oppose technology - but he demands that
we finally see it for what it is: a tool. And not a promise of
salvation. We have to ask ourselves: does this technology serve
people - or do we serve it? “We have to learn again that technology
should support us - not the other way around.” I too would like to
see more urban spaces for people - not for parked cars. I dream of
cities where we don't have to take a “vacation from the car”, but
where car-free living is part of everyday life. And I know that
there are no easy solutions. But it starts with the question: How
do we really want to live? **My conclusion: we are not too small to
make a difference** I know how often people say to me: “What am I
supposed to change?” Or how often people who have visions are
ridiculed. But that's exactly what drives me at *she drives
mobility*: To show people that they are not alone - and that change
is possible if we have the courage to think differently. “Change
begins in the mind - and with the willingness to ask questions.”
Thank you, Ed, for this honest, intelligent and inspiring
conversation. And thank you to everyone who listened, thought and
joined in the discussion. We need these voices more than ever.