Hot! Volkswagen: What's Next

[KiwiRob]

I thought you were busy sucking Xi? Double barreling it?

If you're a German would you like to see your country collapse or not collapse?

 

[klier]

I'd build modern compact nuclear reactors (SMRs) across the country ASAP. They are modular too.

We are going to do it, the Germans should do it too, and quickly. They can be done in 5 years if they make haste. Invest 100 billion and put 20 across the country. So f'ing easy. Problem soved.

And I'd give every anti nuclear protestor 20 years in prison. Maybe life even, just to let them contemplate their stupidity.

 

[KiwiRob]

I'd build modern compact nuclear reactors (SMRs) across the country ASAP. They are modular too.

We are going to do it, the Germans should do it too, and quickly. They can be done in 5 years if they make haste. Invest 100 billion and put 20 across the country. So f'ing easy.

Since 2022 the loss of Russian gas has cost the German economy €680b. By the time they decide to build those reactors (if they can get all political parties agreeing) Germany will be putting up the garage sale sign.

 

[Centurion]

China is the number 1 user of chips in the world, they take over 50% of the worlds chip production, if Nvidia can't sell chips to China they're screwed. Nvidia and Intel are circumventing the ban by leasing chips to China via third party countries like Singapore and Japan.

US tariffs aren't stopping the Chinese selling in the US they just make it more expensive for US manufacturers and consumers to buy products made in China or using components made in China. Chine wins with or without tariffs, it's the US consumer who loses due to higher retail prices.

China is also one of 3 countries that has the energy production to power AI data centres. They are investing heavily in nuclear.

I'd build modern compact nuclear reactors (SMRs) across the country ASAP. They are modular too.

We are going to do it, the Germans should do it too, and quickly. They can be done in 5 years if they make haste. Invest 100 billion and put 20 across the country. So f'ing easy. Problem soved.

And I'd give every anti nuclear protestor 20 years in prison. Maybe life even, just to let them contemplate their stupidity.

Unfortunately there's too much read tape in europe to approve controversial infrastructure like nuclear reactors. China and the US have the big advantages of vast land masses where reactors can be built far away from populated areas. that are concerned about radiation.

 

[Matski]

Yes, they did. With a lot of help from the allies from the other side of The Pond.

The point is that things change. Hyperbolic absolutism doesn't accurately portray the situation, it's conversational click-bait.

Sure. Yeah. Paid by whom? Foreign lenders ... from USA & China & The Gulf states? Yap. They are very eager to pay for our lavish aspirations, dreams & our dolce vita. NOT!

I was referring to Khruschevkas as a representation of one of the less problematic aspects of de-Stalinized communism, never mind.

 

[Design FIRST]

If you're a German would you like to see your country collapse or not collapse?

I AM and I CERTAINLY WOULD NOT.

But our seeming propensity to firmly place ourselves in grave harms way is leaving me frustrated, resigned and desperately seeking some sort of rational answer to the question "WHAT F**F****S*** IS WRONG WITH US ??".
So many of our problems are self-inflicted. And apportioning ALL blame on politicians, myopic and inept corporate management and often delusional educators would not be just. These people are products and thus representative of our society. What is the saying ? "Garbage in, Garbage out" ?. Jeez, we used to characterized as highly organized, efficient, innovative, eager to learn, task focused and direct. I ask just WHY has my country seem to have lost all capability of grasping and executing Realpolitik (a GERMAN term universally applied) ?? Why has my country lost all capability of being financially and economically prudent ??

 

[Tuffode]

I know it's ridiculous. If I was Germany I'd be sucking up to Putin asking for supply of that sweet sweet cheap Russian gas. If it's the difference between destroying the economy or keeping Germans employed I know what I would do.

It's funny because Germany still buys, and has actually increased its purchases of, refined oil products from India, which sources its crude oil directly from Russia.

 

[klier]

Unfortunately there's too much read tape

There is all kinds of tools to cut red tape in half. Easy and effective tools.

 

[KiwiRob]

It's funny because Germany still buys, and has actually increased its purchases of, refined oil products from India, which sources its crude oil directly from Russia.

I know but it costs more to buy it from India than direct from Russia.

Whats even more ridiculous is Russia is still delivering gas to Europe. There are 15 ARC7 Class LNG tankers that deliver gas from Yamal LNG to Europe almost on an daily basis. Whats even more ridiculous is they're allowed to deliver to Europe but I can't deliver spare parts for the equipment my company sold to DSME when the tankers were built in Korea. Apart from the first ship Christophe De Margerie the other 14 are owned and operated by Seapeak from the UK, MOL from Japan and Dynacom from Greece.

 

[Matski]

Why has my country lost all capability of being financially and economically prudent ??

The world's 3rd largest economy by GDP, built on manufacturing, but with nothing like the comparable resources or primary production of the US or China, and seemingly not even energy security. I might argue that diversification of the economy away from dependency on manufacturing would have been the prudent thing to do.

 

[Design FIRST]

The world's 3rd largest economy by GDP, built on manufacturing, but with nothing like the comparable resources or primary production, and seemingly not even energy security. I might argue that diversification of the economy away from dependency on manufacturing would have been the prudent thing to do.

Germanys most populous federal state, Northrhine-Westphalia, was once one of Europes most formidable industrial regions. However, the gradual extinction of steel, mining and heavy industry that began in the mid-late 1990s continues to leave the region with a massive problem of "reinvention". The federal state, as well as Germany in general, has problems embracing the bold new "digital economy" and potential investors are inclined to give the region as well as Germany in general "a pass" due to obstructive bureaucratic hurdles, an unattractive and complex tax environment, very high energy costs and a dearth of native highly skilled, well educated young talent. While the start-up culture is expanding, it is not enough to remove the deficits that deindustrialization have left. A number of once thriving industrial cities such as Oberhausen, Gelsenkirchen, Bottrop, Bochum and Duisburg have become decaying, desolate and very unpleasant places to set up shop or reside. The embracing of big picture scenarios and how to transform promising visionary, innovative concepts into future-proof, lucrative endeavours remains a problem that may be distinctly German. Also, selling some very innovative home-developed technologies (solar panels, robotics, etc.) to Chinese bidders some time ago was but another example of highly myopic mindsets. We won't even delve into the obvious self-destructive dependancies established with highly dubious, potentially immensely toxic partners.

 

[Sunny]

If you're a German would you like to see your country collapse or not collapse?

Except it is not "collapsing". So you either don't understand what the word "collapse" means or you are grossly exaggerating.

I know you here for a while now, You are the same tool who argued a Radical and Porsche have the same usability. And then that hydrogen FCEVs are the future and BEVs will never be. And now you graduated to applying the same idiocy to geo politics. You seem to have a penchant for arguing the contrarian position. That is admirable, but the funny thing is, if you did the same in the shitty tyrannical countries you are shilling for, you will probably end up hanging upside down with two electrodes to your balls.

 

[Centurion]

There is all kinds of tools to cut red tape in half. Easy and effective tools.

This is not unique to Germany, but many laws about nuclear power are 50-70 year old. They are not compatible with today's technology or energy needs. In some of the documents you won't even find the terms internet or AI. That's how old they are.

 

[Rolf]

Bad news for Volkswagen profits for 3/4 reporting!!!

Germany economy panic as Volkswagen sends 'urgent' warning amid 64% profits slump

Volkswagen has warned it will need to make significant cost reductions after reporting a steep decline in third-quarter earnings on Wednesday.

And the gloomy prognosis has prompted one union chief to issue a warning about possible industrial action as he urged the company to outline a "comprehensive future strategy".

Meanwhile the country's beleaguered government is apparently at loggerheads when it comes to how best to drag Europe's biggest economy out of the doldrums.

The latest announcement comes days after the German car manufacturing giant said it was considering the closure of some of its factories in what would be a first in its history.

The company posted a net profit of £1.37 billion (€1.58 billion) for the July to September period, marking a 64% drop from the £3.77 billion (€4.35 billion) reported for the same period last year. Revenue fell 0.5% to £67.86 billion (€78.49 billion).

The announcement followed comments two days earlier by the head of Volkswagen's works council, who indicated that management had informed employee representatives of plans to close at least three plants in Germany. Volkswagen has yet to disclose any further details publicly.

n early September, Volkswagen said challenging conditions in the automotive sector could necessitate plant closures within Germany and could mean withdrawing a longstanding job protection agreement, in place since 1994, which was intended to prevent layoffs until 2029.

Volkswagen blamed factors such as the entry of new competitors into European markets and Germany's declining appeal as a manufacturing base. European automakers are under increasing pressure from cheaper Chinese electric vehicles.

The latest results "demonstrate the urgent need for action in a volatile environment characterised by intense competition," said Chief Financial Officer Arno Antlitz.

He added: "This is why we are facing important and painful decisions that we need to make and endure together."

"We have not forgotten how to build excellent cars, but the costs - especially in our German plants and operations - are far from competitive.

"Therefore, the status quo cannot continue."

Due to the confidential nature of ongoing discussions with employee representatives, Mr Antlitz declined to comment on specific plans or "speculations."

Also today, Volkswagen held a second round of discussions at its Wolfsburg headquarters with union and employee representatives.

The head of the employee council, Daniela Cavallo, emphasised that workers expect a "comprehensive future strategy" that addresses more than just labour and plant costs.

Thorsten Groger, regional head of the IG Metall industrial union, said: "We expect the company today to at least commit to entering a negotiation process with us aimed at finding alternatives to plant closures and redundancies."

He added that this commitment is "a precondition for continuing these negotiations."

Mr Groger also pointed out that a no-strike clause from Volkswagen's last wage agreement will expire on December 1.

Volkswagen employs approximately 120,000 people across its 10 German plants, six of which are in the northern state of Lower Saxony, including the main plant in Wolfsburg.

Speaking last week, Finance Minister Christian Lindner said of Germany's economic woes: "There's no shortage of ideas.

"What there is a shortage of at present is agreement in the governing coalition."

Clemens Fuest, the head of the Ifo economic think-tank, told ZDF television: "Each party is going its own way - you get the impression they're already in election campaign mode.

"If that's the case, if the chancellor can't manage to get the government to pull together, then they should actually end the coalition."

MSN

www.msn.com

 

[SKY]

Except it is not "collapsing". So you either don't understand what the word "collapse" means or you are grossly exaggerating.

I know you here for a while now, You are the same tool who argued a Radical and Porsche have the same usability. And then that hydrogen FCEVs are the future and BEVs will never be. And now you graduated to applying the same idiocy to geo politics. You seem to have a penchant for arguing the contrarian position. Admirable, but the funny thing is, if you did the same in the same shitty countries you seem to praise so much, you will probably end hanging upside down with some electrodes on your balls.

Contrarian? Shitty countries? That cannot be our old Kiwi!

 

[Centurion]

Bad news for Volkswagen profits for 3/4 reporting!!!

Germany economy panic as Volkswagen sends 'urgent' warning amid 64% profits slump

Volkswagen has warned it will need to make significant cost reductions after reporting a steep decline in third-quarter earnings on Wednesday.

And the gloomy prognosis has prompted one union chief to issue a warning about possible industrial action as he urged the company to outline a "comprehensive future strategy".

Meanwhile the country's beleaguered government is apparently at loggerheads when it comes to how best to drag Europe's biggest economy out of the doldrums.

The latest announcement comes days after the German car manufacturing giant said it was considering the closure of some of its factories in what would be a first in its history.

The company posted a net profit of £1.37 billion (€1.58 billion) for the July to September period, marking a 64% drop from the £3.77 billion (€4.35 billion) reported for the same period last year. Revenue fell 0.5% to £67.86 billion (€78.49 billion).

The announcement followed comments two days earlier by the head of Volkswagen's works council, who indicated that management had informed employee representatives of plans to close at least three plants in Germany. Volkswagen has yet to disclose any further details publicly.

n early September, Volkswagen said challenging conditions in the automotive sector could necessitate plant closures within Germany and could mean withdrawing a longstanding job protection agreement, in place since 1994, which was intended to prevent layoffs until 2029.

Volkswagen blamed factors such as the entry of new competitors into European markets and Germany's declining appeal as a manufacturing base. European automakers are under increasing pressure from cheaper Chinese electric vehicles.

The latest results "demonstrate the urgent need for action in a volatile environment characterised by intense competition," said Chief Financial Officer Arno Antlitz.

He added: "This is why we are facing important and painful decisions that we need to make and endure together."

"We have not forgotten how to build excellent cars, but the costs - especially in our German plants and operations - are far from competitive.

"Therefore, the status quo cannot continue."

Due to the confidential nature of ongoing discussions with employee representatives, Mr Antlitz declined to comment on specific plans or "speculations."

Also today, Volkswagen held a second round of discussions at its Wolfsburg headquarters with union and employee representatives.

The head of the employee council, Daniela Cavallo, emphasised that workers expect a "comprehensive future strategy" that addresses more than just labour and plant costs.

Thorsten Groger, regional head of the IG Metall industrial union, said: "We expect the company today to at least commit to entering a negotiation process with us aimed at finding alternatives to plant closures and redundancies."

He added that this commitment is "a precondition for continuing these negotiations."

Mr Groger also pointed out that a no-strike clause from Volkswagen's last wage agreement will expire on December 1.

Volkswagen employs approximately 120,000 people across its 10 German plants, six of which are in the northern state of Lower Saxony, including the main plant in Wolfsburg.

Speaking last week, Finance Minister Christian Lindner said of Germany's economic woes: "There's no shortage of ideas.

"What there is a shortage of at present is agreement in the governing coalition."

Clemens Fuest, the head of the Ifo economic think-tank, told ZDF television: "Each party is going its own way - you get the impression they're already in election campaign mode.

"If that's the case, if the chancellor can't manage to get the government to pull together, then they should actually end the coalition."

MSN

www.msn.com

Cutting profits won't solve the underlyning issues. That is that the VW group is selling fewer cars. 9.24m sold in 2023. 9m expected in 2024. That's potentially 240,000 fewer customers depending on whether it's fleet or consumers.

No business grows by cutting costs, selling more cars to existing customers. The only way to grow is by selling more cars to more customers + profitting from servicing.

To make matters worse. Let's say the production capacity supported 5% growth on 2023 to support capex. Then only delivering 9m this year means that the VW Group are down 461,500 deliveries against target/capacity.

 

[Design FIRST]

Except it is not "collapsing".

Looking at this from the aspect of tax revenues, you are correct. Germany is (not yet) broke and an imminent financial collapse does not appear in the cards. The problem is negligent, reckless misallocation of revenues that are earmarked for so-called projects that are utterly superfluous rather than those that are of absolute essence (infrastructure, education, defense, domestic security, housing, health care, digitalization of, among things, administrative processes). Far more financial prudence would have eliminated this exhausting, frustrating debt ceiling debate that our country is now experiencing.

 

[Design FIRST]

...and on the plus side for Germany: There remain various regions that offer genuine geographical splendor. Southern Bavaria, the wine regions of southern Baden, Rheinland-Pfalz, the Mosel, Franconia, Ruwer and Saar, the Black Forest region, Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Baltic Sea coastlines, the Taunus region. Refuges of sanity, peace and beauty. And friendly, accomodating inhabitants as well. All of this is very much unlike very much of urban Germany. An all together different world, in fact.

 

[Sunny]

Looking at this from the aspect of tax revenues, you are correct. Germany is (not yet) broke and an imminent financial collapse does not appear in the cards. The problem is negligent, reckless misallocation of revenues that are earmarked for so-called projects that are utterly superfluous rather than those that are of absolute essence (infrastructure, education, defense, domestic security, housing, health care, digitalization of, among things, administrative processes). Far more financial prudence would have eliminated this exhausting, frustrating debt ceiling debate that our country is now experiencing.

Democracy is slow and messy. We like to blame the "politicians" for this (and that is fine), but it is not. It is by design (even the blame part). That is what stops it from breaking, like the countless tinpot dictatorships that litter the history's dustbin.

 

[klier]

So who do we blame Sunny?