BMW, VW and Daimler: 2021 could be a fateful year for German manufacturers

The German automotive industry is facing a tough final quarter because of the extended lockdowns.

And 2021 could become a real stress test for the industry.

• The German

  car manufacturers BMW

  *,

  Daimler

  and

  VW

  *

  have to convert their fleets to alternative drives.

  That costs billions.

• It is precisely in this situation that the industry also has to

  cope with

  the consequences of the

  Corona

  * pandemic.

• The next year could be a tough

  test

  for the industry

  .

Hanover / Berlin - The impacts are getting closer and closer.

After a brief rebellion in September, the auto business in Europe is still lacking momentum.

In Germany, sales in the current year are likely to be a full 20 percent below the previous year, the industry association

expects

.

The "sharp decline poses major challenges for manufacturers and suppliers and requires an adjustment in capacities," warned VDA boss

.

The situation will not get any easier in the coming year - on the contrary.

In view of the

* crisis and the necessary investments in electrification and digitization, the industry is heading for a possibly even tougher year 2021.

An overview of the situation and the challenges.

Auto industry: Thousands of jobs are being cut

A look at personnel development shows how serious the situation is in the industry.

At the end of September, around 804,000 people were still working in the industry, around 30,000 fewer than in the previous year.

Alone at

are

By 2029 30,000 jobs will be “changed”, relocated or cut back worldwide.

At

are currently no plans to tighten the ongoing savings for the core brand.

The structures are being radically rebuilt, however, and up to 20,000 jobs are likely to be lost in the coming years.

In the meantime, a software division will be created with more than 10,000 employees in the medium term.

The subsidiary

* had already decided in 2019 to cut 9,500 jobs.

At the truck manufacturer

a dispute is raging over cuts of a similar size.

In the case of

, up to 15,000 job cuts had been rumored; there were reports of 30,000.

Numbers are not commented on - the goal is as socially acceptable solutions as possible.

cuts 6,000 jobs and also waives operational dismissals, in the second quarter of 2020 the Bavarians were in the red for the first time in eleven years.

Since the takeover by the French

group,

has

massively cut jobs with severance pay programs.

Car manufacturer: Billions in aid against the crisis

In order to stabilize the situation and to accelerate the change to alternative drives, the federal government is rushing to help the industry.

At the most recent car summit in mid-November, the federal government announced that it would extend the premiums for the purchase of electric and hybrid cars until the end of 2025.

That helps the heavyweights like

,

or

.

But the smaller suppliers also need support.

Federal Minister of Economics

(

) is planning a program that will accelerate the transition from combustion technology to alternative drives and the use of data in cars from January.

For this purpose, at least two billion euros should flow through 2024.

A future fund into which the federal government intends to pay another billion euros is in preparation.

This is intended to cushion the change in regions with a particularly large number of companies in the industry (“auto clusters”).

E-cars: expansion of the charging network remains an obstacle

However, the expansion of the charging network remains a major stumbling block on the way to the beautiful new car world.

There are currently around 30,000 public charging points.

The VDA is pushing for more.

In order to achieve the goal of one million public charging points by 2030, around 2000 new public charging points per week will be necessary in the future, said VDA boss Müller on Thursday (December 3).

Currently, "200 new charging points are being installed in the public area every week."

Car makers: Manufacturers invest in new models and production

For a long time, the German carmakers were accused of having changed course much too late.

In the meantime, however, manufacturers are working flat out on vehicles with alternative drives. 

• BMW

  plans to

  sell the

  iX

  luxury SUV from November 2021

  .

  After the

  i3

  , which was considered a pioneer in the small car

  segment

  , the car

  will be

  the third

  all-

  electric

  BMW

  boss

  Oliver Zipse

  sees “a new era”

  alongside the

  iX3

  .

  In addition, almost all manufacturers have new hybrids.

  The US rival

  Tesla

  is now pushing ahead with other, now also cheaper, e-models and is building a

  Gigafactory

  * near Berlin.

• Daimler

  reported around 45,000 electric and hybrid vehicles sold in the third quarter of 2020.

  The Stuttgart-based company announced that it would strive for “the leading position” in the field of electric drives and vehicle software in the medium term.

  So far, most models are in the higher price segment.

• VW is

  attacking with the

  ID.3

  in the compact class, where the South Koreans and French have set the tone so far, and plans to launch Stromer in Polo format * in 2023. The expansion of the range of purely electric cars to include the

  ID.4

  ,

  ID.5

  and other models, including at group subsidiaries, is intended to gradually make electric driving

  suitable

  for the

  masses

  . The group will pump 73 billion euros into e-mobility and digital by 2025. By 2030, at least 70 E and 60 hybrid models should be on the market. (dpa / utz)

  * Merkur.de is part of the Ippen Digital editorial network.