Exclusive interview with Lutz Leif Linden, President of the Automobile Club Germany (AvD)

A passion called mobility

Lutz Leif Linden just celebrated the 125th anniversary of his long-standing automobile club, but he is already looking firmly to the future. How will mobility, this important asset, develop? Linden’s perspective is uniquely comprehensive, ranging from everyday roadside assistance services to international motorsports, as well as his views on technology and sustainability.

Your father, Hans Jürgen, ran the club from 1958 to 1982. What are you doing differently? What makes the AvD (Automobile Club of Germany) stand out today?

Roadside and accident assistance continue to be key services that we offer our members. Drivers continue to value safety, yes, but their expectations of us have become more complex and multifaceted: choosing your own repair shop, hotel room, and rental car is easy nowadays in Germany and Europe. However, some of our members also travel further afield – especially since our membership is linked to the person, not the car. So what do we do if a car breaks down in Israel? Or in Iran? These are interesting cases that we resolve right here in Frankfurt.

What new challenges does e-mobility present?

Firstly, employees must be certified to work on battery-powered vehicles. They must know where the switch is that disconnects the vehicle from the power supply. Is there any invisible damage? Where can the damaged car be parked? Workshops need 50 square meters of space for each damaged electric vehicle. Safety distance. Fire protection. All these issues come up, and you never hear them talked about by any politicians.

But, as they say in Germany, “We can do it!”

It’s extra work, but we have enough trained personnel. More than 620 companies throughout Germany provide these services for us, operating over 2,200 tow trucks and cranes. They are certified and know what they’re doing. Six years ago, we installed the first supercharger in front of our building in Frankfurt, and we are now investing another 1.5 million into a new charging park.

What happens to batteries after there’s been an accident?

If a vehicle has caught fire, its batteries must be transported in a water container. There are high environmental risks, especially for groundwater. But even after transport, the question remains: Where should the contaminated water go? Where should the electronic waste go? There are solutions, yes, but they are all very expensive.

Who owns the drive data collected by cars equipped with digital technology?

It is clear that car owners have a right to their data. This is personal data. Do you drive past the supermarket every other evening and spend 20 minutes shopping? All of this information can be found in your movement profile. Many cars have a separate mobile phone installed that transmits data via a SIM card. Major manufacturers know exactly where their customers are at any given point and how fast they are driving. Many manufacturers want to keep their software ‘in-house’ to retain customer loyalty.

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