this post was submitted on 16 Sep 2023
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Makes sense, electric vehicles have far fewer component assemblies and battery systems will be the most expensive part for ages, UAW wants in on those production lines.
Heck it is say for example straight up the plan in Europe. Since say for example there is no getting away from IG Metal for all German makers. Since IG metal literally covers pretty much whole industrial manufacturing and so on.
So they just immediately went "IG Metal, workers of the company, now don't go doing anything rash.... we have retraining program planned".
Remember this was what Herbet Diess of VW got in trouble in part. Saying to Wolfsburg of "large fraction of you should be just unceremoniously fired, we need more cost efficiency". Though his main fall was the mismanagement of Cariad and software delay resulting. Which caused the cardinal sin of any big legacy car CEO.... Announced launch and delivery dates were not kept. Out he goes unceremoniously.
I found it funny how some were going "The CEO is talking truth to power, the need to cut workers, don't you understand". You don't do that in place like Germany. You can't get away from IG Metall. They can make CEO's life living hell, if "employee-employer" relations are not at least on tolerable stance. Even the comments were from union side of caliber CEO seems to be dumb and doesn't understand how things are done here in Germany.
Work force is the main asset. Meaning retrain. Combustion engine labs will be soon instead studying most efficient heat pump setups, most efficient electric motor windings and most importantly Battery pack and cell optimization. The casting plant, that cast and machined engine blocks. Congratulations you are still casting "engine blocks", only now these new engine blocks are called "electric drive unit housings". Assembly people are moved from assembled double clutch gearboxes and engine valve trains to assembling electric drive units and battery packs. So on and so on. The gear cutters who cut transmissions, well we still need reduction gearings and say differentials and so on.
well put.
I would also add... the part count hasn't actually dropped overall maybe as much as people might think. Since... seats are parts, head rests are parts, doors are parts, windows are part, body panels are parts, suspension springs are parts. The mechanical drive train part count sure has gone down. There was many many valves and springs in engine and so on. However mostly the overall assembly line is still the same. The final assembly line doesn't care "are we putting in fuel tank or battery pack", "is the motor here electric or combustion one", "oh these fuel lines are electric instead of fluid, well still pretty thick and stiff lines to run, wrangle in there you dastardly high voltage wire as thick as my thumb".
People often forget most of the car... is the car, not it's drivetrain. Drivetrain is there to move around the car, the cabin. Lot of effort and parts go in the cabin and it is often what sells the car, not the drivetrain. Many a car sale is decided on "hey honey, try these seats, these are really comfortable". Instead on "is the 0-60 7.2 seconds or 5.3 seconds". Can you fit the baby stroller in the back boot and so on sells cars. None of that changes, even though the mechanical drive train is completely different.
All the upholstery and final assembly department is still exactly same. Except the fuel tank and engine reverse weight. The electric motor weights less than the engine block, but that electric fuel tank sure has gained weight over the empty liquid one.
well - the engine and drivetrain. the number of parts in an ICE engine and the drivetrain to transmit that power to the wheels is significant.