this post was submitted on 28 Sep 2025
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The cuts represent about 10% of Bosch's total workforce in the country, and 3% of its staff worldwide. Workers' representatives vowed to resist the cuts, labelling them 'unprecedented.'

German industrial giant Bosch said Thursday, September 25, it would cut 13,000 jobs, mostly in its auto unit, in the latest blow for the country's ailing car sector.

The auto industry in Europe's biggest economy has been hammered by fierce competition in key market China, weak demand and a slower than expected shift to electric vehicles.

The cuts, all of which will take place in Germany, represent about 10% of Bosch's total workforce in the country, and 3% of its staff worldwide.

Bosch − the world's biggest auto supplier, making everything from braking and steering systems to sensors − said the layoffs were needed to help make annual savings of €2.5 billion in the group's car unit.

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[–] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 18 points 1 day ago (4 children)

There's more to this than JUST that. Not that you're wrong of course.

China subsidizes heavily because they want to be the only relevant player in the global EV market. These cars would cost closer to their non-Chinese counterparts if China wasn't doing this.

In global economics, this is considered unfair, and is usually retaliated against via tariffs.

[–] Miaou@jlai.lu 1 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

The west: throws billions of tax payers money for decades at auto industry

stimulating the economy

China: tries to do the same

unfair capitalism!!!!!!

If it makes Yankees feel better, they should just mentally add a "TM" mark next to "China" when talks about subsidies arise.

BTW the Dacia spring is priced similarly to the Chinese models. Maybe it's not simply China bad, maybe it's the western manufacturers who lost their dominion.

[–] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 1 points 1 hour ago

Dacia is a western manufacturer lol, Renault is French.

Who threw billions in tax money at Mercedes? Audi? BMW?

[–] A7thStone@lemmy.world 1 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Why wouldn't we let them in too drain the Chinese economy then. We would "win" in the short term by getting vehicles with fewer emissions while siphoning money out of the Chinese economy. Later when they could no longer afford to offer the vehicles at such a low price another company would step in with a superior product. At least that's what I've been taught about how capitalism works. Was that all a lie?

[–] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 1 points 19 hours ago

The Chinese government can afford to pay their manufacturers 10-20k euros per car indefinitely, there's no real limit to how much money they have. They'll continue until every western manufacturer is bankrupt.

Later when they could no longer afford to offer the vehicles at such a low price another company would step in with a superior product. At least that’s what I’ve been taught about how capitalism works. Was that all a lie?

I know you probably realize this, but no. It's not how capitalism works in the real world. In the real world, when you have products that cost billions to develop before production, it's nearly impossible for a new company to be competitive against a monopoly. And if the Chinese give away semi-free cars to everyone for a decade, everyone else goes bankrupt and they have a monopoly. OR other countries start sacrificing other budget items so they could subsidize their domestic car manufacturing and we just have... even more cars on the roads and less public transit, less walkable cities. Yay!

[–] nialv7@lemmy.world -2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

It's a complex subject, right? From a consumer's perspective, you could have a cheaper car, but your government won't let you (by putting tariffs on them, or just straightout banning them) because China is not playing fair. As a consumer you are paying a price because of your ideology. I don't know if everyone will want to do that.

And on the other hand, from the Chinese government's perspective, they aren't going to care if you think they are fair, as long as things are working out for them. If subsidizing means better product and/or markat dominance, why won't they keep doing that? There are markets that are more ideologically aligned with them willing to take their products.