Volkswagen is trying to implement a comprehensive cost-cutting programme with up to 100,000 job losses, double the amount previously planned, by 2030 and the potential contraction or closure of several plants.
Volkswagen is trying to implement a comprehensive cost-cutting programme with up to 100,000 job losses, double the amount previously planned, by 2030 and the potential contraction or closure of several plants.
That would break them. Building cars that last means less demand for the next new car. Planned obsolescence is the only way to make sure the next round of vehicles has a market, regardless of whether its a significant enough improvement to justify the cost.
Doesn’t sound quite right to me - isn’t Toyota a top brand globally, and doing just fine building cars engineered to last hundreds of thousands of miles? Somehow there’s plenty of market for their cars year after year.
Different business model. Toyota has the Lexus brand, but they rest most of their business model on the shrinking mass market. It works great… when there’s a significant amount of money in the low- to mid-tier markets. Volkswagen group, Mercedes, etc. target upper-mid to luxury/sport markets. Their target market is people with money who want status symbols, not just tools. It has to run flawless, while it runs, but it doesn’t have to run forever because it’s just as much a fashion accessory as it is for transportation; and fashion trends need regular refreshes.
If you target that market with a super-reliable product, you get an Instant Pot. The original models were designed to be damn near bullet proof and last forever. People will take those things to the grave with them, but once everyone who would consider them had one?.. the bottom fell out of the market and they didn’t diversify into other appliances in time to make up for the lost revenue from their primary line of business. Fell into chapter 11 and got snapped up by a bigger fish. The new ones suck so bad… but it keeps people replacing them.
Line go up.