Volkswagen considers German plant closures to save billions in costs | The Guardian (www.theguardian.com)
from filister@lemmy.world to technology@lemmy.world on 02 Sep 2024 17:20
https://lemmy.world/post/19336968

#technology

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reddig33@lemmy.world on 02 Sep 2024 18:23 next collapse

Seems like a misstep. If the cars aren’t selling, look outside the manufacturing plant for the problems.

filister@lemmy.world on 02 Sep 2024 19:45 collapse

I mean they hiked considerably the prices and then wonder why their cars aren’t selling well. Plus VW cars are very boring.

quafeinum@lemmy.world on 03 Sep 2024 16:02 next collapse

Well don’t forget the diesel emission scandal. They’ll happily cheat for profit as hard as possible.

PyroNeurosis@lemmy.blahaj.zone on 04 Sep 2024 15:08 collapse

Boring is good. I’d rather a car be boring than surprising. Especially at highway speeds.

filister@lemmy.world on 04 Sep 2024 16:07 collapse

Okay, I meant not exciting. It is very much meh.

PyroNeurosis@lemmy.blahaj.zone on 04 Sep 2024 16:48 collapse

The real issue is the pricetag. Most folks as I understand it want a car to go to work and run errands or whatever. The appeal of Japanese cars historically has been their reliability and competitive price. They were,'t really luxury vehicles, but took a huge chunk of the market by being a commuter car.

People wanting exciting cars are probably looking for sports cars or muscle cars or whatever that VW doesn’t have much of a hand in.

TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world on 02 Sep 2024 18:39 next collapse

Meanwhile Renault will be producing the 5 (upcoming small EV) in France for a pretty low price considering modern car (and especially EV) pricing. It’s even got a reasonable range.

My point bringing that up is… if this happens, it’s because VW is being greedy and seeks to outsource labour – likely to Asia. It’s not because it’s a necessary move to make their business viable.

I’ve always liked VAG cars, shit I currently have one, but they’ve been making such massive missteps for years now.

darkevilmac@lemmy.zip on 02 Sep 2024 19:11 next collapse

They’re looking for subsidies it seems, they’re getting some pretty generous benefits from the Canadian government so might as well take advantage of it.

melroy@kbin.melroy.org on 02 Sep 2024 22:17 collapse

ah yes this is it. They just threaten politics, so big corps get money again from governments to stay.

Andi@feddit.uk on 02 Sep 2024 21:38 next collapse

Have driven VAG cars for most of my driving life (25 years out of 27) and have always found something that suited my life at the time. I’m currently driving an Arteon Shooting Brake, but that’s no longer made and the iD range is just dull, dull, dull. The Audi EVs are priced so high they’re ridiculous, and the Cupras are just not different enough from the iDs… I’m hoping the Skoda concepts come to fruition, but they’ll most likely be dulled down and not as cool as they look now (the Epiq looks neat)… We shall see. But it may be time to move on.

I might be getting old, but I don’t want a dull car, thanks!

technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com on 03 Sep 2024 15:17 next collapse

Greed is not optional under capitalism.

istanbullu@lemmy.ml on 04 Sep 2024 06:14 next collapse

There is nothing morally wrong with outsourcing.

TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world on 04 Sep 2024 07:50 next collapse

There’s nothing wrong with leaving thousands jobless? Pulling out of an area and community that’s contributed so much to your success? Moving more and more operations to a country that practices genocide?

I think we have very different views on morality.

istanbullu@lemmy.ml on 04 Sep 2024 11:58 collapse

The net number of jobs does not change. They are not eliminating jobs, they are moving them. The same number of people are employed.

RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world on 04 Sep 2024 12:47 next collapse

Spoken like a corporate apologist.

TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world on 04 Sep 2024 12:50 collapse

The net number of jobs does not change.

That’s not necessarily true at all. Companies downsize virtually all the time when they move.

And it’s not even what I said anyway, you’re putting words in my mouth. I said leaving thousands jobless. Do you understand?

And just glossing over the genocide part, eh? I’ll ask you directly: is genocide bad, good, or neither?

istanbullu@lemmy.ml on 04 Sep 2024 12:52 collapse

It also creates new jobs for thousands of other people. Why do you hate those people?

TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world on 04 Sep 2024 13:03 collapse

Address my comment then I might consider answering subsequent questions from you.

Why do you hate those people?

oMg wHy dO yOu wAnT tHe GeRmAn fAcToRy WoRkErS tO STaRvE tO dEaTh aNd ThEiR bAbiES tO DiE?? wHy dO yOu HaTe tHeM sO mUCh??

istanbullu@lemmy.ml on 04 Sep 2024 14:15 collapse

You are just a racist. It offends you that people in the developing world are getting jobs.

TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world on 04 Sep 2024 16:26 collapse

Ah yes. Being against companies fucking over their workers is racist. 🙄

What an absolute clown take.

istanbullu@lemmy.ml on 04 Sep 2024 18:29 collapse

If the total number of employed people doesn’t change, what is your problem? They are not eliminating jobs, they are relocating them.

TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world on 04 Sep 2024 19:08 collapse

That’s a massive if.

And I already explained above.

This is your last chance to address what I wrote in my earlier comment. I won’t talk any further until you do.

istanbullu@lemmy.ml on 05 Sep 2024 05:43 collapse

oh no, what will I do if you don’t talk to me! The horror!

TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world on 05 Sep 2024 07:03 collapse

Ok then. Confirmed that you want babies to die, and that you love genocide of Uighurs. Sick bastard.

Bye bye.

SynopsisTantilize@lemm.ee on 04 Sep 2024 11:44 collapse

Elaborate.

Roflmasterbigpimp@lemmy.world on 04 Sep 2024 07:04 collapse

Username does not check out! Not at all! What have the Wormhole-beings done to you Nagus?!

barsoap@lemm.ee on 02 Sep 2024 23:09 next collapse

The Wolfsburg-based manufacturer on Monday informed its works council

Goshdarnit Guardian. You mean management, as in the CEO, informed the board, which has 50% - 1 seats allocated to the works council. Who already expressed their preference for the CEO to shove it. Then we have the seats representing the state stake (Lower Saxony owns 20%), which let it be known, somewhat more statesmanlike, that “the question of works closures won’t arise because every other option will be exhausted first”.

My prediction? If the CEO doesn’t clearly communicate that “those were of course theoretical considerations unlikely to have practical relevance” there’s going to be a new CEO.

technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com on 03 Sep 2024 15:16 next collapse

Hooray! Shut them all down. Cars are a dead end for the planet.

TheDarksteel94@sopuli.xyz on 03 Sep 2024 16:28 next collapse

Yeah, once there’s sufficient public transport in rural areas. Which there isn’t. So no, we still need cars.

Zip2@feddit.uk on 03 Sep 2024 17:22 collapse

I live in the countryside and flapping my arms does nothing. I need a car for the occasions when I don’t walk.

JohnEdwa@sopuli.xyz on 04 Sep 2024 12:28 next collapse

Just use the bus, it comes twice in the morning so you are either an hour early or hour late from work, and leaves half an hour before your day ends and then once more at midnight.
Convenient!

Zip2@feddit.uk on 04 Sep 2024 13:39 next collapse

Not really, I walk to work. But that inconvenience sure does sound appealing!

Ibuthyr@discuss.tchncs.de on 04 Sep 2024 20:05 collapse

I don’t know man, I live in a somewhat rural area and just take my ebike to work when i have to. Most of the time i work from home though. I’d gladly see the German car industry die to make way for more efficient cars from Japan or France for example. German car manufacturers have completely forgotten where they came from and are just selling overpriced luxury cars that are unreliable as fuck.

lurch@sh.itjust.works on 06 Sep 2024 01:55 collapse

Once there are no more cars, all other transport will improve. People still need to go everywhere and there will be more buses, more bike lanes, more trams and trains etc…

sunzu2@thebrainbin.org on 04 Sep 2024 19:10 collapse

German economy without Russian gas lol

Ibuthyr@discuss.tchncs.de on 04 Sep 2024 20:01 collapse

Not sure what gas has to do with building cars, but ok…

sunzu2@thebrainbin.org on 04 Sep 2024 20:04 collapse

I guess Germans know how to manufacture without energy input 🤡

Ibuthyr@discuss.tchncs.de on 04 Sep 2024 20:07 collapse

I work in heavy machinery. We use tons of metal, like literally. We’re still dominating the market with competitive prices and good technology. Building cars is amateur time in comparison.

Edit: the main portion of costs is personnel. We have a gigantic service network and they’re expensive as fuck because Germany has a good union (IG Metall). Gas is absolutely of no concern to us at all.

sunzu2@thebrainbin.org on 04 Sep 2024 20:11 collapse

sounds like german auto industry lost its competitive edge due to shiti management and too much state aid.

good to hear that your industry is able to compete despite gas prices!

Ibuthyr@discuss.tchncs.de on 04 Sep 2024 20:42 collapse

I will agree with that. Im honestly very happy and proud that we manage to power through the slight recession. And im 100% sure its because of good management. We jumped on board the sustainability train fairly quickly and we’re definitely benefitting from it. It helps that our customers are doing the same. Conservative mindset is what’s ruining our industry (and our political landscape). All they do is whine when things won’t work the way they used to and then they wait for state aid.

Anywho, thanks for the kind words, I appreciate it!

sunzu2@thebrainbin.org on 04 Sep 2024 21:51 collapse

Thank you for providing additional details.

Are owners of poorly ran enterprises just asking for bailouts? Or are they literally not competitive? Trying to better understand reason for decline in industrial output etc.