VW To Downsize About 7,000 Jobs

The Future is going to be less physical jobs at auto companies for EV's. Yet the more robotics are used in auto assembly, the more maintenance / repair techs will be needed. Where one job is lost, another is usually created. This is good news and understandable. Re-Education of job training will be a reality for auto workers.

32 minutes ago, dfelt said:

The Future is going to be less physical jobs at auto companies for EV's. Yet the more robotics are used in auto assembly, the more maintenance / repair techs will be needed. Where one job is lost, another is usually created. This is good news and understandable. Re-Education of job training will be a reality for auto workers.

There are going to be fewer mechanical variations between vehicles.  A company like VW could have power units in Small, Medium, and Large.... three variants to replace all of the gasoline/diesel/hybrid power train combinations they currently have.  And the only thing making them different will be the software. You can see why manufacturers see the potential cost savings to them for switching to EVs. 

27 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

There are going to be fewer mechanical variations between vehicles.  A company like VW could have power units in Small, Medium, and Large.... three variants to replace all of the gasoline/diesel/hybrid power train combinations they currently have.  And the only thing making them different will be the software. You can see why manufacturers see the potential cost savings to them for switching to EVs. 

Agreed, you build a single engine that can have multiple different personalities based on the software profile loaded into the auto control boards. This would allow very nice clear differences on HP / Torque or in this case kW / nM allowing for a true difference in buying a Chevrolet over a Cadillac as one example.

Yet with the simplified platforms / powertrains the automation building will need servicing. Kinda like the WIlly Wonka Chocolate factory where the father lost his job only to get a new one doing the service on the automation machines.

Firing admin jobs in Germany while adding factory jobs there and elsewhere.  Sounds like VW is following what GM is doing as we speak.

On 3/15/2019 at 12:22 AM, riviera74 said:

Firing admin jobs in Germany while adding factory jobs there and elsewhere.  Sounds like VW is following what GM is doing as we speak.

and BMW, and Toyota