The growing use of electrified vehicles is expected to cost Germany's crucial car sector some 75,000 jobs by 2030, a study found Tuesday, with smaller auto parts suppliers set to be worst hit. The IG Metall union, which commissioned the study along with BMW, Volkswagen, Daimler and a string of car parts makers, said the pivot towards cleaner engines posed a "major challenge" to Germany's biggest industry, which employs more than 800,000 people.
Electric engines are simpler to build and require far fewer parts than petrol- or diesel-fuelled cars. According to the study, carried out by the Fraunhofer Institute, the shift will eliminate 100,000 of the 210,000 jobs in drivetrain manufacturing by 2030, while around 25,000 new roles will be created linked to batteries and other specific requirements for electric cars.
The figures were calculated on the assumption that by then, 25 percent of all cars on Germany's roads will be fully electric, while another 15 percent will be hybrids, which combine an electric motor with a traditional internal combustion engine.