stalls After short-time work and of production in the plants of the automotive industry, the feared wave of layoffs follows. Initially, Nissan had announced that a fifth of its production capacity shut down, and also to make his work in Barcelona is dense, then Renault has announced the elimination of 15,000 jobs in the coming years. Both are partners in an Alliance and groaning - as the industry as a whole - the consequences of the Corona-crisis.

This will also lead here to clearcuts. The automotive supplier ZF Friedrichshafen announced the removal of up to 15,000 jobs in the coming years. "From today's point of view, we need to adjust by 2025, the world our capacity and 12,000 to 15,000 jobs to reduce, about half of them in Germany," writes Chairman of the Board, Wolf-Henning Scheider is on top of the nearly 150,000 employees worldwide. Every tenth of a workplace could, therefore,. decline in the coming years Due to the slack demand on the part of the car maker ZF expects high losses for this year. to be able to

New alliances

in order To reduce costs, Volkswagen, however, to the allies. The wolf Burger want to drive along with the American car maker Ford projects on supposedly future-oriented fields such as E-mobility or Autonomous Driving ahead.

The Volkswagen Supervisory Board approved on Thursday the different projects. In the past year, both companies had already announced to want to light commercial vehicles and electric powertrains in collaborations go.

And the house s'Zoff

Such "success stories" but can't hide the fact that it is a seething, apparently, also in the Volkswagen group. Just in time for the meeting of the Supervisory Board, namely, the workers have turned critically against the group's leadership.

Technical problems of the new Golf 8 and the electric car, ID.3 representatives of the IG Metall, took the opportunity, the Management of a failure in crisis management and to attest the public presentation of the Wolfsburg-based car manufacturer.

"This is a bad Public image over a period of many decades customers destroys trust and threatens our jobs," says the on Thursday published in the Internet Writing. The Union representatives made it clear that they reject more austerity at the expense of the workers categorically.

cooperation is the need of the hour

in any case, cooperation between Volkswagen and Ford offer, because the industry is to cost in the change towards alternative drive technologies and the increasing digitalization of cars and mobile services, in view of the enormous investment. This power, together, to the shoulders of sense, especially in economically turbulent times and the difficult times.

the Alliance of Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi has unveiled this week a new collaboration model for more competitiveness. So in each case one of the Alliance partner in a Region or in a particular vehicle model should take the lead. The other could benefit from the projection and then the Standards apply.

The may join may other car maker from Germany. "It is possible that in the foreseeable future with the Daimler group, which is already entered into cross-shareholdings with Renault and Nissan, another Partner to the Alliance approaches," says industry analyst Frank Schwope of Nord/LB.

Federal money for the old mill?

The idea to help the auto industry with a "scrappage" from the crisis, and in this country is highly controversial. This model of a purchase incentive there was in the last financial and economic crisis in this country: 2500 Euro consumers got for scrapping the old and buying a new car.

However, many consumers preferred to by the premium on a planned new car purchase. Therefore, the car sales crashed in the quarters, but according to. Economically questionable, was to justify the premium also from an ecological perspective difficult to.

Of money, it is not lacking in any case

Also in terms of social policy, such premium is fraught with problems: "Usually, the probably buy more of their households have a car. This would then be subsidized by the General public. The corresponding deadweight losses are to be feared," says auto analyst Eric Heymann of Deutsche Bank. "The state has only limited means to help programmes. And in terms of the problems that other sectors, such as the gastronomy, the automotive industry is in a much better Position."

it's fitting that Volkswagen buys two billion euros in electric vehicle and battery manufacturer in China. The big three car manufacturers hold in addition to the payment of dividends to its shareholders in the billions. Of money it seems the car manufacturers themselves - to be lacking in contrast to many of their suppliers - so.

author: Mischa Ehrhardt

*The post "in search of the way out of the crisis" published by Deutsche Welle. Contact with the executives here.

Deutsche Welle

Date Of Update: 29 May 2020, 09:27