According to industry expert Stefan Reindl, many automotive suppliers lack the financial strength to make the change during the crisis. From combustion engines to e-mobility, the industry is undergoing a profound transformation.
The head of the Institute for the Automotive Industry in Geislingen (Göppingen district) said that small supplier companies will get into trouble relatively quickly because they only produce components for internal combustion engines. For them, electromobility came faster than expected. Reindl said that “it could be ruinous for them if the effects of Corona or the Ukraine war dissolve, because then there will be a need to catch up”. With the combustion engine, what is added in terms of quantities for the electric car is gone.
In view of the high costs that they want to pass on to their customers, the manufacturers, groaning, leading suppliers such as Bosch, Continental and Mahle. Reindl said that “supplier contracts have a long-term character and certain commitments, including prices”. The manufacturers would nevertheless continue to work together with the supporting pillars of the suppliers. Reindl said that “if Mercedes, for example, were to lose the supplier Bosch, then the car manufacturer would have a huge problem”.
