Daimler (Mercedes) is quite close, and they complained loudly when Boris Palmer decided to drive a Prius rather than a Daimler car when he became mayor of Tübin

Daimler (Mercedes) is quite close, and they complained loudly when Boris Palmer decided to drive a Prius rather than a Daimler car when he became mayor of Tübingen. So yes, the auto lobby is quite powerful but the extent to which they can interfere with the business of a small liberal university town is very small.