[Deep EYE] Ioniq 5's popularity explosion broke a festering wound

The number of pre-contracts for the new electric vehicle Ioniq 5 launched by Hyundai Motor Company reached a new record.

Ioniq 5 easily renewed the record for 23,000 pre-contracts, which the previous Kia Carnival had, to 23,760 units on the first day of its release.

Overseas are also raging.

Even in the European market, which is famous for its high eye level, more than three times the amount of limited-edition pre-contracts has been received.

The inflection point in the stage of full-fledged electric vehicle supply is often regarded as the point when the mileage exceeds 500km.

This is because when an internal combustion locomotive that people are familiar with is full of fuel, the average distance it can run is around 500km.

When the mileage exceeds this, consumers will perceive electric vehicles as universal vehicles without discomfort.

Looking at the mileage of electric vehicles coming out these days is 400-600km, it makes sense of the current explosive interest.

However, behind the explosive popularity, the scars that have been festered while being covered are starting to explode in earnest.

This is the restructuring of industry and labor caused by mass production of electric vehicles that are structurally different from internal combustion locomotives as well as functions.

Compared to internal combustion locomotives with 30,000 parts, electric vehicles account for only half, with about 15,000 electric vehicles.

The production process is bound to be simplified.

That is, the number of manpower required to enter the assembly line is reduced, leading to a story that the restructuring of production manpower is inevitable in the era of electric vehicles.

Such a theoretical prediction is becoming a reality.

In the last few days, there are reports that Ioniq 5 may cause mass production disruption.

The first news came last January.

It was news that the production line of the Ioniq 5 test vehicle was stopped due to the interdiction of workers who rebelled against the policy of outsourcing electric vehicle parts.

Before long, news has been heard that this month, the labor and management showed a difference in position over the number of workers to be assigned to the production line, which may cause a disruption to the mass production plan.

The backlash from workers is a reflection of anxiety that they might lose their jobs in the mid to long term.

In foreign countries, where employment is more flexible than ours, restructuring for electric vehicles is ongoing.

Volkswagen, the world's largest automobile company, is said to cut 8,000 jobs by 2023 according to plans to develop electric vehicles and other future vehicles, and Audi of the same group will also reduce its production manpower by 9,000 by 2025.

In addition, BMW is pushing ahead with a plan to reduce jobs in Germany alone by up to 6,000 and GM of the United States by 14,000 worldwide.

Hyundai Motor, which has a strong labor union's breath, is actually reducing the number of employees by reducing the number of retired employees every year in consideration of changes in the number of manpower required for production.

Another hidden wound is the difficulty of survival of partner companies.

The automobile industry is an industry that has a great deal of industrial-related effects and job creation, with a number of business partners leading up to the 7th band.

However, according to a survey by the National Statistical Office several years ago, among 9,000 domestic auto parts makers, about 3,000 companies are destined to disappear due to the emergence of electric vehicles, accounting for 30%.

Although the tragic fate is clearly visible, it is difficult to avoid it.

Most of the domestic parts makers start with automakers and are tied up in an exclusive structure with a tail on the tail through subcontracting and subcontracting.

Therefore, we cannot even dream of adjusting production items or converting industries, and research and development cannot be carried out due to the decline in profits due to the monopolistic subcontracting structure.

These companies only hope that the era of popularization of electric vehicles will be delayed as much as possible.

Even for companies with relatively few internal combustion engine-related parts, it is difficult to develop production methods or materials suitable for electric vehicles.

This is because, as the auto industry has only received and mass-produced parts developed by the automaker, its own R&D capabilities are poor and policy support is insufficient.

maintenance industry is also on the verge of survival.

The maintenance industry complains that electric vehicles have few maintenance items such as parts and consumables due to their characteristics, and that it is almost impossible to make profits through maintenance or replacement of consumables due to their structurally low probability of failure.

According to the analysis of the maintenance magazine Katech, in the case of the powertrain, one of the major sales sources in the maintenance industry, the number of parts for an internal combustion locomotive is about 170, but only 35 for electric vehicles.

This means that there are fewer failure factors.

In addition, the replacement of consumables that must be performed periodically in an internal combustion locomotive, such as engine oil replacement, is greatly reduced in electric vehicles.

At best, it is only necessary to replace or replenish relatively inexpensive parts such as ventilation filters and washer fluid.

In addition, since electric vehicles do not have engines or transmissions that have a high repair cost, it is not easy for a maintenance company to make a lot of money.

The battery, which is said to be the most expensive among electric vehicle parts, is in the form of a module that cannot be repaired, so light maintenance companies cannot handle it anyway.

trend of electric vehicles cannot be countered anyway, and now it is accelerating.

Thanks to government subsidies, the burden of consumers approaching electric vehicles is lighter.

Electric vehicles are also evolving day by day.

The structure that used to be sloppy is now equipped with high-tech design and convenience, making even those who were not interested in looking back.

The spread of electric vehicles is an event in which the difference between light and shade is greater than any other industrial change.

Not only do we cheer for the cool new car and praise the policy effect, but we need to urgently set up a job change, industry change and education plan for workers, suppliers, and maintenance industry workers who are groaning in the shade.