German automaker Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) has promised that no employees will be laid off during the transition to an all-electric vehicle lineup. At the same time, experts predict the loss of tens of thousands of jobs in the industry, writes the Financial Times.
“Our transformation will not lead to job losses. Perhaps already this decade we will produce only electric vehicles at our plant in Munich, and no one will lose their jobs,” said BMW CEO Oliver Zipse.
The German Automotive Industry Association (VDA) said earlier that the EU proposal to ban the sale of new combustion engine vehicles by 2035 was "practically unfeasible" and the employment implications of such a decision would be "substantial". A survey conducted on behalf of the VDA showed that more than 100,000 jobs could be at risk in Germany if automotive workers are not retrained.
Zipse said in this regard that BMW will retrain employees around the world to work with electric models of electric vehicles
“Highly skilled employees can adapt to almost any technology. We want to keep our people because we rely on their competence,” said Zipse, who also chairs the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA).
So far, the losses in the German automotive sector have mainly come from automotive component suppliers, including Continental AG, which is cutting 13,000 jobs in the country.
Clepa, a European auto supplier union, warned last December that the sector could lose half a million jobs as a result of Europe's EV policy.
