It is fair to say that the global automotive sector is vibrant right now. Current estimates peg the market size at $2.7trn, and the big manufacturers like Ford, GM, and Toyota still enjoy healthy sales each year. However, that has only been achieved by the whole sector being open to constant evolution and moving with the times.
The ability to move with the times is seen mainly in the type of cars being manufactured and how they are made. In terms of the kind of cars being sold, hybrid and electric vehicles are now a common sight. The sale of both types of vehicles is growing, and this saw a 43% jump in sales for electric cars globally in 2020.
Table of Contents
Manufacturing of Hybrid or Electric Cars?
As a sign of things to come, it shows that both these greener cars are something people are taking too. Of course, the knock-on effect of more hybrid and electric cars being sold, and growing demand, is that more is being made than ever before. But how is all this changing auto manufacture?
More emphasis on green auto manufacturing
The rise of hybrid and electric cars has seen auto engineering become more environmentally conscious. As these cars are green options that people are beginning to value, it has seen the demand for them to be produced in a more sustainable way increase. Lean manufacturing is an excellent example of this and has qualified engineers cutting back on wastage in auto manufacturing and helping to streamline processes.
This, in turn, has also seen the demand for auto engineers with such skills rise recently and change the way workforces look in car manufacturing. Many people wanting to move into this type of career now gain an online masters in lean manufacturing from Kettering University. This program is perfect for helping auto companies make cars in a greener way and helps students become more employable as a result.
A new range of specialist skills needed
To be fair, auto engineering has always required high-level skills – even when producing petrol or diesel cars. However, the rise of hybrid/EV manufacture has seen auto engineering change, and it needs workers with new, specialist skills. Producing EVs and hybrid vehicles calls for specialist knowledge around computer engineering, robotics, machine learning, and advanced IT knowledge. It also requires those making the cars to understand the new tech involved in them, how it works, how it fits together, and how it can be improved for the future.
Innovation and tech on the rise
Another change to auto manufacturing which the rise of EVs and hybrids has brought has been more innovation in general. The need for car companies to innovate when making greener vehicles has seen them discover new ways of doing things and new features to put into their cars.
This has enabled them to offer innovation to customers in terms of car manufacture across their whole range – even for non EVs. A far cry from the days of the 2014 Corvette Stingray. Of course, the extra tech involved in making hybrid/EV cars also sees auto manufacturing workshops themselves using more technology. From advanced robotics to help build cars to the high-end tech inside them, the way vehicles are made has changed dramatically.
Auto manufacture has been affected by more EV and hybrid cars
There are now more hybrid and electric cars on the road than ever before. In terms of auto manufacturing, the need to make more of this type of vehicle has had a significant impact. Even standard petrol cars have started to benefit from the innovations and changes to manufacturing processes this has brought about.
.jpg){kind=link}