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Workshop of the future: The combustion engines will be missing”
Porsche Austria Managing Director Wolfgang Wurm gives an outlook on the challenges facing specialist workshops.
Workshop of the future: The combustion engines will be missing”
AUTOMOTIVE.AT:How will the workshop business with vehicles from the VW Group develop in the next 5-10 years?
WOLFGANG WURM: In the workshop sector, with the increase in e-mobility there will be a loss of income in the medium term due to the oil changes no longer being necessary and the associated work effort being reduced, as electric vehicles are less maintenance-intensive than combustion engines. This needs to be compensated for with new digital offerings – such as software services, inexpensive spare parts or repairs for vehicles over eight years old. At the same time, due to the crises of the last few years (Corona and Ukraine) and the associated production and delivery bottlenecks, around 300,000 vehicles are missing from new registrations. These vehicles, primarily combustion engines, will be missing from the workshop business in the next five years after the factory warranty expires, which will also have an impact on the earnings situation of the service companies in the medium term.
Where will the biggest investments in workshops go in the next 5-10 years? For example, will new hardware be needed?
The transformation of the automotive industry towards electromobility, digitalization and sustainability affects all areas of the value chain and requires the implementation of new technologies, especially at the beginning, in the workshop area. As long as the number of electric cars is still small, investments in infrastructure and hardware as well as in the training and further education of employees are also necessary. This also includes the training of high-voltage technicians and high-voltage experts.
Keyword shortage of skilled workers: How is the PHS going about this in order to still have enough staff in the future?
We are setting up many initiatives in the area of employer branding within the company and are trying to present both Porsche Holding Salzburg and the PIA companies as an attractive employer, and overall to present the apprenticeships we offer as opportunities for the future. At the same time, it is important to us to retain existing skilled workers in the long term through many measures and activities.
Will salaries for automotive technicians increase due to the staff shortage, and can this be made up for with higher hourly rates?
Of course, automotive technicians will only work where they receive appropriate pay and have an interesting working environment. In addition to the salary, it is also about professional training and further education, personal development, an attractive workplace and interesting working time models. As Porsche Holding, we can offer all of these points to employers.