Electric car shift costs jobs: VDA demands better conditions

Image: Mercedes‑Benz (illustrative)

Following supplier Schaeffler’s announcement to close four plants in Germany and cut 3,460 jobs across Europe, VDA president Hildegard Müller called for a shift in economic policy at an event in Berlin.

The transition from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles results in job losses, while Germany’s industrial conditions determine where new jobs will be created and where industry investments will be made, according to the lobbyist. Müller demanded that competitiveness be made the top priority at all political levels, warning that “inaction by policymakers costs more jobs every day.”

In the energy policy debate, Brandenburg’s Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (SPD) disagreed with Federal Economic Minister Katherina Reiche (CDU) regarding the evaluation of new gas power plants. Reiche described the bidding process for long-term capacity as the foundation for a secure and affordable electricity supply, while Woidke predicted rising electricity prices due to the planned financing mechanism starting in 2031.

Woidke also criticized the lack of competitiveness of German electricity prices and the three-year limitation on the industrial electricity rate, which does not provide a sufficient basis for long-term investments by energy-intensive companies.

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Thomas Langenbucher is an expert in electromobility with professional experience in the automotive industry and finance sector. Since 2011, he has been covering electric vehicles, sustainable technologies, and mobility solutions for ecomento.de. Learn more.

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