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Volkswagen cuts jobs as demand for EVs plunges

fortune.com

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Re: Volkswagen cuts jobs as demand for EVs plunges

#71

Post by smnrchrds »

bluedino wrote: post #15
AniseAbyss wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Volkswagen got big (it's in the name) with building affordable cars like the Beetle and the Golf. Compact fuel efficient cars that a nurse or teacher could afford.

Your last sentence is interesting. Nurses make 2-3 times as much as (K-12) teachers in the USA

According to BLS, median annual income for Registered Nurses is 81k, compared with 61-62k for teachers. Higher, but nowhere near 2-3 times.

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/Education-Training-and-Library/Kinde...

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/middl...

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/high-...

Re: Volkswagen cuts jobs as demand for EVs plunges

#72

Post by zwily »

yieldcrv wrote: post #38
surfingdino wrote: post #30

EVs are a hard sell. Range anxiety is not an issue, but the charging infrastructure is. The cost is also too high for the average buyer at this time.

yeah everything non-Tesla is a complete non-starter for me until they actually use the harmonized charging network, so I guess the 2025 models? Tesla models are a somewhat starter, too few options in look and then the price and its a weird quagmire, the people that can afford to live in dense high cost of livings cities are the exact target audience for EV’s but have the most perplexing and inconvenient charging arra…

What about the Tesla price? You can get a new one for like $35k.

Re: Volkswagen cuts jobs as demand for EVs plunges

#73

Post by throwaway54_56 »

dieortin wrote: post #56
holoduke wrote: post #40

Who is buying a new car these days anyway? Maybe the older generation who are living in their cheap paid off homes. But i dont know anyone below 50 who ever bought a new car. 50k for a small refrigerator? Compared to a 10 year old bigger car for 15k with similar operating costs and no hassle.

> Compared to a 10 year old bigger car Why does so many people act like the bigger a car is, the better?

Here, here. I'm a bigger fellow than average, and the best size for me is the smallest one I can fit in comfortably.

Re: Volkswagen cuts jobs as demand for EVs plunges

#74

Post by ianai »

wolverine876 wrote: post #65

The corporate news is the same story, over and over: Cut 5-15% of workforce because of the 'economy'. Meanwhile the economy keeps doing well, so people are making money. I suspect there's another reason for the cuts, but the following is just BS. I'm hoping someone knows something substantive - a paper, a book, a term for it, etc.: I often see a new management philosophy of hyper-aggression and disdain for all but mo…

US has had decades of thumping the mantra “MBAs are the smartest people on earth, just give them whatever they want and they'll solve all problems.” (edit-this was at the highest levels of government.) That idea has come home to roost. Lo and behold, those MBAs think non-MBAs are dime a dozen (even phds) and smart people are all in management. (They also thought computers and automation would eventually make every non-management position obsolete or commoditized.)

The law long ago turned on workers largely too. HR takes managements side unless the manager is literally breaking the law and the worker has an airtight case with evidence and especially witnesses. So to be an employee means you need an understanding of the law on par with an entire HR department or learn to always say “yes.”

Re: Volkswagen cuts jobs as demand for EVs plunges

#75

Post by trogdor »

zwily wrote: post #72
yieldcrv wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

yeah everything non-Tesla is a complete non-starter for me until they actually use the harmonized charging network, so I guess the 2025 models? Tesla models are a somewhat starter, too few options in look and then the price and its a weird quagmire, the people that can afford to live in dense high cost of livings cities are the exact target audience for EV’s but have the most perplexing and inconvenient charging arra…

What about the Tesla price? You can get a new one for like $35k.

The cheapest Tesla is just over $40,000 before taxes and fees.

Re: Volkswagen cuts jobs as demand for EVs plunges

#76

Post by voisin »

yieldcrv wrote: post #38
surfingdino wrote: post #30

EVs are a hard sell. Range anxiety is not an issue, but the charging infrastructure is. The cost is also too high for the average buyer at this time.

yeah everything non-Tesla is a complete non-starter for me until they actually use the harmonized charging network, so I guess the 2025 models? Tesla models are a somewhat starter, too few options in look and then the price and its a weird quagmire, the people that can afford to live in dense high cost of livings cities are the exact target audience for EV’s but have the most perplexing and inconvenient charging arra…

> “I just slow charge everynight to an AC outlet in my garage”

How fast does a Tesla charge via a regular AC outlet?

Re: Volkswagen cuts jobs as demand for EVs plunges

#77

Post by trogdor »

yieldcrv wrote: post #38
surfingdino wrote: post #30

EVs are a hard sell. Range anxiety is not an issue, but the charging infrastructure is. The cost is also too high for the average buyer at this time.

yeah everything non-Tesla is a complete non-starter for me until they actually use the harmonized charging network, so I guess the 2025 models? Tesla models are a somewhat starter, too few options in look and then the price and its a weird quagmire, the people that can afford to live in dense high cost of livings cities are the exact target audience for EV’s but have the most perplexing and inconvenient charging arra…

>the people that can afford to live in dense high cost of livings cities are the exact target audience for EV’s but have the most perplexing and inconvenient charging arrangements

Just one anecdote, but I live in Seattle and every garage space in my building has a Level 2 charger available.

I suspect that is the case for most higher-end new construction these days.

Re: Volkswagen cuts jobs as demand for EVs plunges

#78

Post by bradfox2 »

voisin wrote: post #76
yieldcrv wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

yeah everything non-Tesla is a complete non-starter for me until they actually use the harmonized charging network, so I guess the 2025 models? Tesla models are a somewhat starter, too few options in look and then the price and its a weird quagmire, the people that can afford to live in dense high cost of livings cities are the exact target audience for EV’s but have the most perplexing and inconvenient charging arra…

> “I just slow charge everynight to an AC outlet in my garage” How fast does a Tesla charge via a regular AC outlet?

4 miles per hour or so if you are referring to a nema 5-15.

Re: Volkswagen cuts jobs as demand for EVs plunges

#79

Post by chii »

protastus wrote: post #59
panick21_ wrote: post #9

Its funny how the EU is now 'investigating subsidies' in China. China has been building this sector for like 30 years. While Europeans were so proud of their diesel vehicles and how clean they were and the Germany companies endlessly talking about hydrogen and green fuels. While Europe has basically no resource extraction related to batteries or much of any battery refinement for most of that period. But now that thi…

Traditional automakers largely got trapped in the innovator's dilemma. China had no attachment to ICE technology and skipped straight to BEV. Dieselgate was a blessing to VW because it forced them to discuss BEVs to save face. Europe leads the world in legislation and regulation, both good and bad. Their labor laws are the strongest in the world. Manufacturing in Europe can't compete on price, and the price disparity…

Related is that china's manufacturing is more focused on low cost labour, rather than high skill, intricate (and thus higher cost) work.

Surprisingly, an ICE car is more intricate, and has more labour intensive parts that require a high skill labour force. Things like engine block manufacturing (and design), spark plugs, etc.

Battery EV are actually low labour - after all, motors are not "intricate", as they don't need to contain explosions!

I think that china has, prior to BEV, tried to reach the same level of car manufacturing as europe (ala germany), but has found that no matter what economic policies they put in place, the labour and value chain in china just cannot catch up to the well established ones in europe.

It actually makes sense that china abandon the ICE manufacturing sector, because the BEV sector at the time had no competition, and capitalism (and the innovator's dilemma) has prevented ICE car manufacturers from entering until they see the real demand - but by then, china has fully controlled the supply chain of critical components such as the batteries, minerals and capacity.

I do not believe that europe (or the US) can really catchup without a major shift in technology of the battery.

Re: Volkswagen cuts jobs as demand for EVs plunges

#80

Post by rpgwaiter »

LeifCarrotson wrote: post #63
siffland wrote: post #44

Working in Tech, I love a lot about electric cars. I just have a few issues I cannot seem to overcome (this is a personal ME thing about EV's and some new gas vehicles, your mileage may vary....pun intended). All new cars spy on you (well most do), but EV's are completely software driven and seem to be more intrusive. I want a car I can connect to the internet when I want to for updates and that is it. I also want an…

> So you are telling me they could of been build with smaller batteries and save money and the environment, but they were not... If you charge and discharge a lithium ion cell from 4.2V to 2.75V, you might get 250 full cycles. If you stop charging at 4V and call that 100%, and stop discharging at 3.2V, you might get 2000 cycles before capacity is reduced. Phone and laptop manufacturers prefer to burn the battery out…

I mean, you can set your charge limit in every EV I know about
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