AutomobilesAge of electric cars to drive painful job cuts for Japan and Germany
EVs requiring half the parts of conventional autos will bring tectonic shift to industry
Volkswagen EVs in Wolfsburg, Germany: Longtime automotive powerhouses like Japan and Germany risk economic dislocation as their industrial infrastructure changes to produce electric cars. (Getty/Kyodo)
Nikkei staff writers
December 30, 2020 05:34 JST
FRANKFURT, Germany/TOKYO -- The electric car represents a breakthrough both in combating climate change and transforming industry through technology. But for Japan and Germany, whose economic success rests on gasoline- and diesel-powered cars, the disappearance of combustion engines comes with painful job cuts.