Club continues to grow
ADAC counts more breakdowns and has less money
May 4, 2024, 8:35 a.m
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The ADAC will welcome hundreds of thousands of new members in 2023, but this will not have a positive impact on the annual results. At the general meeting, the executive committee spoke out in favor of e-mobility, but there is no alternative to the combustion engine in the breakdown assistance fleet until further notice.
Germany’s largest club has continued to grow. As ADAC President Christian Reinicke said before the general meeting in Bremen, the number of members rose by 380,000 last year to 21.8 million. “Most members come to us because of roadside assistance,” said Reinicke. But three quarters of new members took out the more expensive premium membership with additional services.
The annual result is still “a good deal below the previous year because we had more breakdowns,” said board member Oliver Weissenberger. Drivers are keeping their vehicles longer and the fleet is getting older. The number of road patrol missions rose from 3.4 million to over 3.5 million. The association wants to announce the financial figures at the general meeting.
This year, the focus of the general meeting, which brings together around 230 delegates from the 18 regional clubs, is “the opportunities and risks of electromobility”. The club’s management expects a lively debate, also because “many members are skeptical about e-mobility,” as Reinicke said.
The Presidium believes that “e-mobility is currently the only way to operate cars in a climate-neutral manner and to achieve climate goals” and is trying to set positive accents. The ADAC advises and has already tested over 150 electric models. The association is set to phase out combustion engines in new car sales in the EU from 2035. “But it has to remain open to technology,” said Reinicke. Hydrogen, fuel cells or e-fuels should not be ruled out. There is an existing fleet of over 40 million petrol and diesel cars in Germany.
When it comes to ADAC breakdown assistance, “we won’t be able to fleet any electric cars in the foreseeable future,” said Weissenberger. With a load of 600 kilograms of tools and equipment, the vehicles are too heavy for this, “so our range is going to be reduced to our knees.” In addition, the breakdown assistants would also have to be able to tow another vehicle if necessary. In order to still be more climate-friendly on the road, roadside assistance cars should increasingly be fueled with biodiesel HVO100.