Future of drivers: challenges and opportunities for Schwäbisch Gmünd

Future of drivers: challenges and opportunities for Schwäbisch Gmünd

In the Gasthaus Krone in Zimmer, the annual general meeting of the Kfz guild Schwäbisch Gmünd recently took place. Senior master Michael Schramel and Managing Director Edgar Horn cordially invited the members to discuss the current situation and the challenges of the automotive industry. Schramel reported a solid financial and personnel list of the guild, but at the same time signals that the pressure of automotive groups and legislators is increasing steadily and thereby increasing the bureaucracy, as Remszeitung reported.

"Digitization brings savings with it, but these are often overcompensated by the additional bureaucracy," says Schramel. In his speech, the senior master called for increased ensuring mobility in rural regions in order to avoid dependence on their own vehicle. Edgar Horn then presented the annual financial statements and the budget, which was confirmed as orderly by the cash auditors. The approval of the plans and the discharge of the board and management were pure form.

change in the new car market

But what moves the industry? Carsten Beuss, General Manager of the State Association of the Baden-Württemberg motor vehicle trade, informed those present about the economic situation of the industry. A remarkable change takes place in the new car market: For 2024, it is predicted that 54.8% of the new registrations are eliminated on alternative drives, while in 2019 89.9% of sales were petrol engines and diesel. Most of the new cars with alternative drives are mild and plug-in hybrids. Nevertheless, many drivers hesitate to switch to purely battery -electric vehicles (BEV), whereby high prices and inadequate charging infrastructure are often mentioned as a stumbling block, reports Remszeitung .

The workshop business, on the other hand, remains a stable source of earnings for the vehicle businesses with an occupancy rate of 87%. In the industry there is a clear demand for a stronger consideration in federal politics in order to be able to preserve the interests of medium -sized companies.

The transformation of the industry

But how is it going? The automotive industry is facing a profound change. According to a study by deloitte shrinking the areas of combustion technology, while alternative drives and electromobility are becoming more important. Companies pursue different transformation strategies. The majority of the companies rely on an approach to developing their own skills, with some also relying on takeovers and collaborations.

The transformation takes place in seven phases, whereby many companies are currently in the transition of conventional technologies to a balanced ratio between internal combustion engines and electrical drives. At the same time, companies have to accept the challenges that are based on new actors from other industries and the changing customer requirements.

the look into the future

How will the automotive industry change? According to Ey play Digital technologies, data and software a decisive role in the future of the industry. Digitization breaks out existing value chains and opens up new pools of income, while the new product mix consists of hardware, software and services. Brands such as Daimler and Schaeffler are changing from traditional manufacturers to modern mobility companies.

The customer behavior of all of these changes is difficult to measure from fixed key figures. The self -assessment of the management of the company is increasingly becoming a decisive factor. However, one thing is clear: the automotive industry must remain flexible in order to meet the new requirements of the market and at the same time to preserve their core values.