Germany’s largest club continues to grow – concerns about a breakdown led new members to the ADAC in 2023. At its general meeting, the club debates e-mobility as a model for the future.
The concern of many drivers about a possible breakdown resulted in a significant increase in members of the ADAC last year. At the same time, the “yellow angels”‘ mishaps are putting pressure on the financial balance sheet. Around 230 delegates from Germany’s largest association are meeting in Bremen today for the general meeting.
According to ADAC President Christian Reinicke, the number of members increased by around 380,000 in 2023. This means that the ADAC now has a total of around 21.8 million members. “Most members come to us because of roadside assistance,” says Reinicke. The association’s road patrol was called out around 3.5 million times last year because of a reported car breakdown. In the previous year there were around 3.4 million such missions.
In his own Statistics for 2023 According to the ADAC, a defective or discharged starter battery is the most common cause of breakdowns, followed by problems with the engine. Defects in the starter motor, the alternator, the on-board electrical system and the lighting came in third place among the most common breakdowns.
Annual result worsened compared to 2022
But while the possible help in the event of a breakdown brings more members to the club, the operations at the same time put a strain on the ADAC’s business results. That was a good deal lower than the previous year, said board member Oliver Weissenberger, without giving specific figures.
The ADAC wants to officially present the balance sheet for the past year at its general meeting, which is taking place in Bremen today. This year’s delegate meeting has the motto “Opportunities and risks of electromobility”. Many members of the association are still skeptical about e-mobility, said ADAC President Reinicke.
ADAC Presidium supports e-mobility
From the perspective of the Presidium, electromobility currently represents the only way to “operate the car in a climate-neutral manner and achieve the climate goals”. The end of the combustion engine in new cars from 2035, which the EU states decided in March 2023, is also “set” for the ADAC. However, drives such as hydrogen, fuel cells or e-fuels should not be ruled out, warned Reinicke.
Reinicke added that there are currently more than 40 million petrol and diesel cars on the road in Germany. Electric cars are also not an option for the ADAC breakdown assistance in the foreseeable future. The reason: The vehicles loaded with tools and equipment are simply too heavy and must also be able to tow broken down cars. In order to still be more climate-friendly on the road, roadside assistance cars should increasingly be fueled with biodiesel HVO100.