As the election approaches, Germany's carmakers will face the same challenges as its new leaders: a need to innovate, tackle climate change and reassess its trade relationship with China. How this world-renowned motor industry navigates the road ahead could tell a lot about Germany’s future.

00:00‌ ‌-‌ ‌Germany‌ ‌faces‌ ‌numerous‌ ‌challenges‌ ‌
00:49‌ ‌-‌ ‌Can‌ ‌Germany’s‌ ‌cars‌ ‌reveal‌ ‌its‌ ‌future?‌ ‌(or‌ ‌whatever‌ ‌the‌ ‌title‌ ‌is)‌ ‌
02:13‌ ‌-‌ ‌Is‌ ‌Germany‌ ‌too‌ ‌reliant‌ ‌on‌ ‌trade‌ ‌with‌ ‌China?‌ ‌
03:46‌ ‌-‌ ‌Germany's‌ ‌reluctance‌ ‌to‌ ‌digitalise‌ ‌
05:09‌ ‌-‌ ‌The‌ ‌race‌ ‌to‌ ‌go‌ ‌electric‌ ‌ ‌
06:41‌ ‌-‌ ‌The‌ ‌future‌ ‌of‌ ‌electric‌ ‌cars‌ ‌ ‌
08:17‌ ‌-‌ ‌What’s‌ ‌in‌ ‌store‌ ‌for‌ ‌Germany’s‌ ‌new‌ ‌leader?‌ ‌

Read our special report about Germany after Angela Merkel: https://econ.st/3Cuw3Pj

Find all of our analysis of Germany’s upcoming election: https://econ.st/3hQ0Zl9

View all our Europe section for all our coverage: https://econ.st/2ZgMqkb

The Economist Explains: How do Germany’s elections work? https://econ.st/3hS6aB3

German voters face a bewildering array of possible coalitions: https://econ.st/3nS5dwq

The warring parties’ plans for Germany’s economy are full of holes: https://econ.st/3Ewl7Tf

Why Climate change will feature heavily in Germany’s election: https://econ.st/3hM3Knu

Why German cars have the most to lose from a changing auto industry: https://econ.st/3EDZnF4

How new means of getting from A to B are disrupting carmaking: https://econ.st/3ClVz9o

Who will rule the Teslaverse? https://econ.st/3hS5mMx

Read about the new 800V electric cars that will recharge in half the time: https://econ.st/3lAivuM

What the million-mile battery means for electric cars: https://econ.st/3nPV5nP

Old electric cars are a raw material of the future: https://econ.st/3lG23sP

Read about Volkswagen’s plans for electric cars: https://econ.st/3lEmkPK

Listen to “The Economist Asks” podcast with Herbert Diess, chief executive of Volkswagen, about electric cars: https://econ.st/3CtU1dn