Digitalization can slow job loss in the automotive industry

The switch to electric cars will cost tens of thousands of jobs in the industry in the coming years – but the simultaneous progress in digitizing vehicles has been able to absorb most of the loss.

This is the conclusion of a study by the institute of automotive economics (IFA) at the nurtingen-geislingen university of economics and environment, which contrasts the consequences of the two trends.

According to the study, the change in the car industry will, in the worst case, result in the loss of more than 170,000 jobs by 2030.000 jobs from the current level of around 613.000 jobs at manufacturers and suppliers in germany will be sacrificed. In the best case scenario, there would only be about a tenth. However, all new digital vehicle components and also the batteries for the electric cars had to be produced in germany, write the authors of the study led by IFA director willi diez.

By digitalization, diez and his team mean above all the networking of cars, i.E. The connection of vehicle parts to one another, but especially the networking of the car with the outside world, for example via driver assistance systems. "The share of digital components in the total value of a vehicle is expected to rise from 4.9 percent today to around 14.0 percent in 2030," predicts diez. "This would correspond to a value of digital components of 4500 euros per vehicle."

For their study, the scientists calculated various scenarios: slow or fast transition to electric cars, with or without production of the digital components in germany, with or without production of the batteries.

"Fewer employees are needed for the structurally simpler electric drives – you can spin that any way you want," said IG metall boss jorg hofmann recently. But even there, there will be more complex products. "We also have an increase in employment in areas such as autonomous driving, which opens up new business models that no longer have anything to do with traditional production," hofmann said.

The industry is already adapting. "We already hire almost as many IT specialists as we do mechanical engineers, and the trend is upward," BMW personnel director milagros caina-andree told the frankfurter allgemeine zeitung newspaper. Electromobility and digitalization are also key topics at the international motor show (IAA), which begins this week in Frankfurt.

Only for employees of the building yard

The access to the building is only possible for the employees of the building yard. The fire department will have three parking spaces, sanitary facilities, a commandant’s office, a dry room, a flat for practical exercises, washing areas, storage rooms, workshops, parking spaces and rooms for the hose maintenance facility. In addition, the building services will be housed on this floor. The mezzanine has a large training room, sanitary facilities, a tea room, a lounge, a room for the youth fire brigade and a terrace.

On the green flat roofs should also be erected appropriate photovoltaic systems. When rainer kitzinger put the construction costs at 2.032 million euros, the costs for the outdoor facilities at 16,900 euros and the costs for the furnishings at 80,000 euros, the councillors had to swallow for a moment. "That’s quite a number, according to mayor peter kraus (CSU) "but there is still some room to move downwards." It is still necessary to talk with the fire department about possible savings, but in principle all rooms are necessary according to the regulations. The grant for the construction of the fire department building amounts to about 200,000 euros and the firefighters are ready to cooperate actively.

"I am firmly convinced that we will be under two million euros and that we will be able to shoulder it", the mayor explained in response to udo knauer’s question as to whether the municipality could afford it. Knauer, like the second mayor, doris scheller-graf, demanded sound financial planning for the next ten years, since the municipality also has to cope with the extension to the kindergarten, replacement purchases for the fire department, sewer renovation in grebhausen or necessary road repairs.

Alexander brehm, an employee in the building yard, emphasized that it was hardly possible to work sensibly in the current building yard. Not only was the space very cramped and the sanitary facilities more than unreasonable, but also certain regulations had to be observed. "The investment is not only necessary for the fire department", he said.

Erwin sperber interjected into the discussion that already at the end of last year costs of 1.8 million euro had been assumed and that the latest figures should not frighten anyone. In the end, mayor kraus agreed to present a financial plan in the next meeting and only then to vote on the grant application.

New vehicles for the fire brigade

What had led to the lively discussion was also the presentation of the vehicle concept for the gadheim-ottendorf fire department, which was presented by district fire chief ralf dressel. Dressel described the merger of the fire departments from gadheim and ottendorf as very positive, and the new joint fire department has a young and highly motivated team. In order to meet the ever-increasing demands placed on the fire brigade and the increasingly heavy equipment, the ageing vehicles were to be replaced step by step.

A replacement for the team transport vehicle from 1997 has already been ordered for the beginning of 2020. For the two 26- and 27-year-old LF8/6 fire fighting vehicles, dressel suggested that a HLF10 fire fighting vehicle for a crew of nine should be purchased in 2023, and a GW-L1 logistics truck for six people in 2027. Although the HLF10 could only be driven with a truck driver’s license, there was no alternative.

The possible cost of the HLF10 dressel estimated at about 310,000 euros without loading, with a grant of 87,200 euros to be expected here. A new GW-L1 could cost around 120,000 euros, and the grant for this was 33,600 euros.

Mayor kraus made it clear that the cost estimate was "pure speculation" because, for example, he did not want to spend 310,000 euros on a HLF10. But vehicle concept is prerequisite for request for new fire station, he said. Also, the concept was correct from the point of view of the fire department supervisor. Of course, the community could also participate in the acquisition of the truck driver’s license. In the end, the municipal council approved the concept.

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