Lorenz Frey-Hilti: "Corona shows us limits".

Lorenz Frey-Hilti (29) is a director at the Emil Frey Group, one of Europe's largest car dealers. His father, former SVP National Councilor Walter Frey, has been Chairman of the Board of Directors and owner of the family business since 1975. Today, the company is active in Switzerland, France, Germany and other European countries.

Are Swiss still buying a car now?

Lorenz Frey-Hilti: "Like most industries, the automotive sector has been hit hard by the Corona crisis. After the lockdown by the Federal Council, showrooms had to be closed. Sales figures have plummeted. In March, almost 40 percent fewer cars were registered in Switzerland than a year earlier. In April, the decline will be even greater, at an estimated 75 percent. But the interest for new and used cars is there, we see that through our online channels."

Do you still get on a streetcar or train?

Lorenz Frey-Hilti: "No, at the moment I don't ride the train or the streetcar. The protective measures are very difficult to implement in public transport."

Will the image of the car change?

Lorenz Frey-Hilti: "I am convinced that the usefulness of the car is becoming clear to everyone, especially in this pandemic. The Corona crisis shows that even a very good public transport system has its limits. Almost three quarters of all passenger kilometers are covered by private motorized road transport. Food has to be distributed to the retail trade, online orders are delivered home by road, and ambulance transports have to be secured by road. It is all the more disappointing that the automotive sector has hardly been addressed by our politicians in the last weeks of the Corona crisis. Everyone needs to acknowledge how heavily the economy and the population rely on the automobile today."

What specifically are you asking of policymakers?

Lorenz Frey-Hilti: "In short: I say yes to expansion and liquefaction, no to new burdens for the motorist. Switzerland has grown massively in recent decades. The population, economic output, tourism, Switzerland as a transit country and, accordingly, traffic have all increased significantly. What has not grown, however, is the road surface area. This in turn has led to increased traffic jams. Despite the daily traffic jams and the increasingly extensive legal regulations, most Swiss people do not want to and cannot do without the automobile."

Why are so many off-roaders sold?

Lorenz Frey-Hilti: "The choice, whether 4×4, SUV or not, must lie with the consumer! Today, the automotive industry can offer customers anything: Vehicles powered by gasoline, electric, diesel, hybrid or even hydrogen. Many of these SUV vehicles can also be bought with hybrid or electric drive, perhaps Federal Councillor Sommaruga does not know this. Especially the all-wheel drive vehicles bring great advantages and more safety in snow and rain. We automotive dealers sell what our customers want."

Is industry doing enough to protect the climate?

Lorenz Frey-Hilti: "Yes. The annual reports of the Federal Office for the Environment (Bafu) show that air quality in Switzerland today is probably better than at any time since the beginning of the industrial age. For example, levels of particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide are lower than at any time since measurements began almost thirty years ago - whether in the countryside or in the city. And this is despite the fact that car traffic in Switzerland has increased by 30 percent since then. This clearly speaks for the success of the technological developments of the car manufacturers in the environmental field. With the large subsidies and regulations in many countries for e-cars, their sales will also continue to rise."

The interview conducted by Daniel Waldmeier has been excerpted by AutoSprintCH from 20min.ch.

20min.ch