I was invited to tour Bosch’s facility in Charleston, South Carolina, and saw firsthand the evolution of the world’s largest auto parts supplier as the industry transitioned to electric vehicles.

Stepping into the facility is like walking into Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, but instead of rivers of chocolate and little orange people, highly trained and motivated workers and next-generation technology. working in sync.

The company uses Industry 4.0 manufacturing methods featuring artificial intelligence, precision lasers, robotics, and more to manufacture precise, reliable auto parts at scale.

Bosch’s Charleston plant produces components critical to the automotive industry that ship to nearly every major automaker, including Tesla, Ford, GM and one of its more recent customers, Rivian.

But as Mike Mansuetti, president of Bosch in North America, explains, the automotive industry is “rapidly evolving” towards electric vehicles. The auto parts supplier is investing in a sustainable future by introducing new he EV products and parts for its customers and bringing the technology to market at scale.

Mr Manuetty said:

We have invested over $6 billion in developing electromobility.
By 2021, global orders for e-mobility will exceed $10 billion.
first time.Supporting customers’ regional expansion with local production
Supporting electrification strategies and market demands
electrification.

In January 2020, Bosch announced that it would slow down production of diesel powertrain components in order to focus on sustainable solutions. A classic example of a rapidly evolving industry, the building is now used to manufacture the Rivian R1T electric motor.

Bosch is building a portfolio to drive electric vehicles

Bosch started production of the electric motor for the Rivian R1T in October, ushering in a “new era of electrification” for the global automotive parts leader. The manufacturing site covers approximately 200,000 square feet of formerly used diesel parts area.

An electric motor consists of two main parts, the rotor and the stator. The stator features wound copper bars for superior efficiency and power density. The coil receives energy from alternating current coming from the battery via the power electronics.

The rotor, on the other hand, is filled with magnets through a transfer molding process, resulting in fewer air pockets. When current flows into the stator, the rotor’s magnetic field follows the stator’s magnetic field, producing energy that powers the wheels of the vehicle. The casing consists of aluminum A and B sheds that surround the unit.

The company uses high-tech AI-powered machines and other robotics to produce faster, more accurate results while reducing its carbon footprint.

According to Bosch, the electric motor is 98% efficient. In addition, the process is scalable, giving customers greater flexibility, offering torque ranges from 150 Nm to 1000 Nm and ranges from 50 kW to 500 kW with up to 680 HP.

How the world’s largest auto parts supplier is evolving its business for the EV era

The new manufacturing process presented challenges as electric vehicle motors vary in size, range and materials. Perhaps more importantly, the shift to electric vehicles is creating a gap in the workers filling these high-tech manufacturing jobs.

Recognizing this, Bosch is partnering with local schools to ensure that it has the talent it needs to drive the future of the automotive industry, and to provide employees with opportunities to reskill and upskill.

Investing in electromobility training

As Bosch explained, the transition would not have been possible without workers. To accelerate the process, employees were sent to a Bosch plant in Germany for training, learning how automation can make the manufacturing process more efficient.

As a result, these are not typical manufacturing jobs. These are high-tech jobs that involve skills such as software programming and working with automated machinery.

If you think about it, when you bring your car in for a vehicle inspection, it is no longer a toolbox that the mechanic takes out. It’s often a laptop designed to automatically identify problems. Electric vehicles are more sophisticated and require a different set of skills to work with.

Auto suppliers play a vital role in the US economy, contributing about 2.5% of GDP. As electric vehicles continue to gain momentum and outsell petrol vehicles, employees need to be able to support the transition.

Bosch’s $260 million expansion is expected to create 350 net new jobs by 2025, but this is just the beginning. Bosch sees a future in the automotive industry and is partnering with local schools in Charleston, such as Trident His Technical College, to incorporate electric vehicle education into their curricula.

Since 2013, the Bosch Community Fund, a corporate foundation for automotive suppliers, has contributed $2.5 million to STEM education initiatives in the Charleston area.

Electrek take

With electric vehicles expected to account for 13% of global new car sales by 2022, the rapidly evolving automotive industry is establishing new job streams. What Bosch is doing is recruiting employees who previously worked with gasoline car parts and training them for the future of the industry.

However, the company is beginning to realize that manufacturing jobs have a great deal of stigma and built-in perceptions that no longer apply.

People don’t care what they don’t know. These manufacturing jobs tap into skills that some kids basically use every day, like video games that require quick thinking and analytical skills.

The problem is that educators are unaware of what the manufacturing jobs of the future will look like, thanks to the electric vehicle revolution. Teachers don’t want these jobs because they don’t associate them with the skills they use.

What is needed to support the new EV era is a change in perception that will get people interested in the future of the automotive industry and put the US back on track to become a manufacturing powerhouse.

Last year, new electric vehicle employment jumped 26.2%, creating 21,961 new jobs. And this year, the pace has accelerated further with new climate initiatives and heavy investment in the US by foreign automakers.

Since the beginning of 2021, companies have invested around $85 billion in manufacturing electric vehicles, batteries and chargers, all of which require new skilled workers.

The opportunities electric vehicles are creating in the US are already present, with EV market share approaching just 6%. Imagine what will happen in a year.

As the world’s largest automotive supplier, Bosch is playing a key role in the transformation. During my visit, they seemed enthusiastic and enthusiastic about the challenge of supporting the arrival of electric vehicles and the future of the industry.

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