Der Autopreneur

Der Autopreneur is a German-language automotive strategy podcast about an industry losing its old certainties in public. It focuses on the shift from combustion engines to electric vehicles, from hardware to software, and from assisted driving to autonomous mobility. The show is not built around cheerful future talk. It is built around pressure. German manufacturers lose share in China, suppliers restructure, software talent becomes decisive, and Chinese competitors reset the speed of vehicle development. Episodes often begin with a stark number or contradiction, then trace the mechanism behind it. Bosch posts a rare loss while calling 2026 a year of progress. BYD appears to stumble in China while expanding globally. BMW looks like a winner because Mercedes and VW have been hit harder. Waymo becomes a threat without building cars at all. The show keeps returning to the same uncomfortable point: the automotive center of gravity is moving, and brand heritage is not enough to stop it. China is treated as the market where the new rules are already visible. Customers expect better software, faster development, stronger digital experiences, and more advanced driving functions. German companies are shown trying to adapt through partnerships, local development, cost cuts, and new electric platforms. That adaptation is presented as necessary, but not automatically convincing. The AI episodes widen the lens from vehicles to management culture, where adoption is slowed by licensing, uncertainty, and hierarchy. Interviews add operating detail, including perspectives from Barrels by Alex Partners and Mercedes-Benz in South Korea. Still, the show’s main appeal is its analytical framing: facts are stated plainly, repeated in simpler terms, and sharpened into business consequences. It suits listeners who want automotive transformation explained without corporate varnish.