125 Years of German Automotive Tradition Shifts to Batteries

11th International Advanced Automotive Battery Conference

BERLIN and PASADENA, California, January 21, 2011 - January 29th marks the 125th anniversary of the birth of the
automobile by Karl Benz. On that date in 1886, the Mercedes-Benz namesake
registered his "vehicle powered by a gas engine" in Germany. Today Germany's
automotive industry is on the verge of a paradigm shift away from the
internal combustion engine and toward electric mobility. The market for
automotive batteries in Germany is expected to boom in the coming years. For
the fifth consecutive year, Germany Trade & Invest will be at this year's
Advanced Automotive Battery Conference in Pasadena, California, from January
24-28, 2011.

Electric mobility in Germany is backed by over EUR 500 million
in federal funding through the National Electromobility Development Plan. The
initiative seeks to put one million electric vehicles on Germany's roads by
2020. At the same time, industry players are also making major contributions.
Every German manufacturer will have an alternative drive vehicle on the
market this year and a full electric vehicle by 2013.

The automotive industry in Germany is the country's most
important sector in terms of revenue, accounting for EUR 263 billion in 2009.
In the field of electric mobility, there are currently eight model regions
testing the application of battery-driven mobility. Thirteen additional
locations are focusing on the smart grid infrastructure as well as
information and communications technology for electric mobility. Partners
range from carmakers like Daimler and Volkswagen to utilities, national and
federal state ministries, and renowned research institutes. Pilot projects
currently have several fleets of electric vehicles and are already building a
charging infrastructure and testing applications including mail and cargo
delivery.

Germany's automotive industry commits over EUR 21 billion
annually to research and development. Around ten new patents are registered
each day in this field. German researchers are addressing a wide range of
electric mobility topics, covering such areas as battery capacity and light
materials for auto bodies. The AUE Mobility initiative is even actively
evaluating the acoustic impact and risk potential of silent electric
vehicles.

At this year's Advanced Automotive Battery Conference, Germany
Trade & Invest's industry experts will be on hand at booth 319 to assist
interested investors looking to expand their business to Germany. These
experts assist with the entire investment process, ranging from finding an
appropriate location to partnering with established industry players and
research institutes.

Germany Trade & Invest is the foreign trade and inward
investment promotion agency of the Federal Republic of Germany. The
organization advises foreign companies looking to expand their business
activities in the German market. It provides information on foreign trade to
German companies that seek to enter foreign markets.

    Germany Trade & Invest

    Robert Scheid
    Email: robert.scheid@gtai.com
    T: +49(0)30-200099-170
    F: +49(0)30-200099-111

Germany Trade & Invest: Robert Scheid, Email: robert.scheid at gtai.com , T: +49(0)30-200099-170, F: +49(0)30-200099-111.