Latest news with #JörgSchlagbauer
Bloomberg
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Bloomberg
Audi Workers Demand Job Guarantees Before Backing US Expansion
Audi must secure jobs and production in Germany before building a factory in the US over President Donald Trump's tariffs, the carmaker's top labor official said. The Volkswagen AG -owned brand is reviewing several options for setting up its own manufacturing hub in the US, where VW already operates one plant and is building another for the Scout nameplate. Audi's labor leaders are willing to back an expansion in the country only if management gives long-term guarantees for jobs and output at home, said Jörg Schlagbauer, the company's works council chief.
Motor 1
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- Motor 1
Audi: 'People Won't Let Politicians Dictate Which Cars They Should Drive'
Audi is one of many car manufacturers that announced ambitious plans to go purely electric even before the European Union's 2035 ban on cars that generate harmful emissions. However, like others, it has recently backtracked from its lofty goal of becoming EV-only by 2033, opting to keep combustion engines well into the next decade, perhaps even beyond. It's worth noting that the EU is leaving the door open for vehicles with combustion engines that run on synthetic fuel, provided it's carbon-neutral. However, e-fuels are unlikely to scale up to industrial levels within a decade, effectively making the EU's decision a de facto ban on new combustion-engine cars. But Audi doesn't believe Europeans will only see electric vehicles when they walk into a new car dealership in 2035. Audi inline-five engine Photo by: Chris Rosales / Motor1 In an interview with German business newspaper Automobilwoche , the Chairman of Audi's General Works Council stated that both the EU and car manufacturers will face resistance from people unwilling to give up gas engines just yet. Jörg Schlagbauer is quoted as saying he 'doesn't believe that customers will let politicians and manufacturers dictate which products they should drive.' During his candid interview, the head of the works council admitted Audi shouldn't have rushed into setting sweeping electrification goals: 'In the past, we made some unfortunate decisions, guided by the corporation [Volkswagen Group], such as the early, very strong commitment to electromobility. In focusing on e-mobility, we also lost flexibility in production, which would have been needed when the mandated e-mobility did not work as planned.' But Schlagbauer doesn't doubt the future is electric. However, he thinks it won't arrive as early as the middle of the next decade: 'I don't question electric mobility at all. We will all be driving electric vehicles. I just don't believe that we will be ready by 2035, especially when it comes to the ecosystem that e-mobility needs.' Audi RS3 Photo by: Audi He has a point. We can't just flip a switch and expect a fully developed charging infrastructure across Europe, let alone the entire world. There's another issue. Automakers are working to reach price parity between combustion and electric cars, but we're not there yet. It might happen in the next decade, and not just because EVs could become cheaper as battery costs decrease. Making combustion engines comply with stricter emissions regulations (Euro 7) will also raise their prices, narrowing the gap with equivalent EVs. While Audi's Chairman of the General Works Council believes the day will come when we'll drive EVs, Toyota's Chairman Akio Toyoda doesn't think electric vehicles will ever surpass a 30% global market share. Whatever the case, all signs point to Europe being at the forefront of EVs, given the EU's aggressive agenda to end sales of new gasoline and diesel cars sooner rather than later. Audi's rival, Mercedes, has also recently announced that it will keep gas engines in its lineup longer than previously planned. The company's chairman and CEO, Ola Källenius, stated that the three-pointed star has made a 'course correction' to prolong the life of internal combustion engines, describing it as a 'rational approach' to avoid neglecting conventional drivetrains. BMW M3 Touring Photo by: Alex Goy | Motor1 BMW, the world's largest luxury car brand, has also voiced caution. Speaking in May during the company's Annual General Meeting, CEO Oliver Zipse said putting all bets on EVs 'leads down a dead-end street' and emphasized that 'political goals must reflect market realities.' At last year's Paris Motor Show, he called the 2035 ban 'no longer realistic' and warned that ending combustion-engine production 'could also threaten the European automotive industry in its heart.' As recently as March, the EU reaffirmed its 2035 ban on the sale of new combustion-engine cars . However, it's not set in stone. According to Politico , the European Commission will review the legislation later in 2025, under pressure from automakers seeking clarity for long-term planning. Whatever happens in Europe will have global ramifications, given how some of the biggest names in the industry come from the continent. Gas Engines Are Still Very Much Alive: BMW: 'The Combustion Engine Is Our Foundation' Lamborghini Is Sticking With Gas Engines for The Long Haul Source: Automobilwoche Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Audi to cut 7,500 jobs in Germany by 2029
Audi, the luxury car manufacturer owned by Volkswagen Group, will cut 7,500 jobs in Germany by the end of 2029, the company and the works council announced on Monday, following extensive negotiations. Together with other financial cuts for employees, the move aims to save the carmaker more than €1 billion ($1.09 billion) per year in the medium term. The company and the works council had wrangled over the savings plan, but have now agreed on a concept. Works council chairman Jörg Schlagbauer said the company originally planned to eliminate 12,000 jobs. "Audi needs to become faster, more agile, and more efficient. One thing is clear: this won't be possible without workforce adjustments," management board chairman Gernot Döllner said. But Döllner emphasized that "there will be no redundancies for operational reasons until the end of 2033. In difficult economic times, that is good news for all employees." The current job security programme, which excludes compulsory redundancies, will be extended until the end of 2033. It previously applied until the end of 2029. Audi also said it plans to invest €8 billion in its German sites. "We are positioning Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm to be robust and flexible for the challenging transition to electric mobility," Döllner said. Ingolstadt is near Munich and Neckarsulm is near Stuttgart.
