The shift away from internal combustion engines to e-mobility could cost as many as 410,000 jobs in Germany by 2030, according to the results of a German government-sponsored study reported by the Handelsblatt newspaper.

The  report echoes warnings from some German industrialists and some companies – such as Continental and Schaeffler – have already announced structural changes to plant and resource bases as part of the anticipated shift towards electric vehicles.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

The newspaper cited a report by the National Platform for the Future of Mobility (NPM), an advisory council for the government that said in powertrain activities alone some 88,000 jobs could go. The report noted that an internal combustion engine consists of at least 1,200 parts whereas an electric motor is only around 200 – meaning that e-mobility will entail fewer parts manufacturing activity.

The National Platform for the Future of Mobility (NPM) brings together experts from politics, business, trade unions, associations and research. An interim report of Working Group 4, headed by IG Metall boss Jorg Hofmann, on strategic personnel planning is expected to be published this week, Handelsblatt reported. In extreme cases, according to the NPM report, a total of 410,000 jobs are at stake. The researchers assume that ten million electric vehicles will be on German roads by 2030 and that the fleet will increase to 16.7m by 2035.

However, the German auto industry trade association, VDA, has criticised the assumptions in the study and said they are 'unrealistic', although it reportedly agrees that a reduction of around 80,000 jobs in the production of engines and transmissions is realistic. The report also notes that many companies in the industry will have to identify new value creation potential and restructure their business models.

See also: 

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Siemens boss issues stark warning on e-mobility

Continental announces plant closures

Schaeffler cuts 900 jobs as EV shift gathers pace