The change in mobility and the associated reorganisation of car manufacturers’ production facilities is therefore in full swing. Entire vehicle components are being eliminated or fundamentally redesigned. For example, less complex gearboxes are being installed in electric cars. Other industries can also benefit from the modernisation of car manufacturing. This is because they are still installing gearboxes and the like and can purchase the production machines that have been decommissioned by the car manufacturers at favourable prices.
Anyone who has recently purchased a vehicle with an internal combustion engine might think that more gears are fundamentally better. Indeed, the development of transmissions has made impressive progress in recent years. Automatic and dual-clutch transmissions have been continually improved to achieve optimal performance. Some of the latest models even feature up to twelve gears. However, as the switch to electric vehicles increases, the requirements for vehicle production are fundamentally changing. In electric vehicles, traditional engines and transmissions, as we know them, are becoming increasingly obsolete. A modern internal combustion engine with a transmission consists of around 1,400 individual parts. In comparison, the drive system of an electric vehicle consists of only about 200 components.
The transmissions of electric vehicles are far less complex than those in internal combustion engines. Many electric vehicles use a so-called single-speed reduction gearbox, which does not require gear shifting. This fixed gear ratio reduces the high rotational speed of the electric motor to a lower speed suitable for the wheels, enabling driveable speeds. However, there are also electric vehicles, particularly those with higher performance, that feature a two-stage gearbox.
Growing demand for electric vehicles in Europe
Many of the machines and tools traditionally used in automotive manufacturing are no longer needed. Manufacturers and suppliers are therefore in a phase of reorientation, where they are retrofitting or even partially closing their production facilities to meet new market demands. How far the conversion of production facilities has progressed is difficult to say. A recognised indicator is the proportion of electric vehicles sold.
In 2023, the European market for battery electric vehicles (BEV) experienced a strong upswing: sales of over 1.5 million vehicles represent an increase of 37% compared to the previous year. Electric cars thus established themselves as the third most popular drive type in Europe, after vehicles with petrol and hybrid engines, and overtook diesel vehicles for the first time.
Despite growing interest in more environmentally friendly options, petrol and hybrid vehicles remain the popular choice, closely followed by. This indicates that the transformation of production is in full swing. “We also notice this at Surplex,” says Dejan Dučić, Project Manager at Surplex. “In recent months, we have been conducting more and more auctions for and from the automotive industry. And this affects a variety of areas: from robots from a Czech automotive plant to insolvent suppliers and the current partial closure of the engine and transmission works of the German car manufacturer.”
New markets for decommissioned machines from the automotive industry
And who should buy these used machines when most car manufacturers no longer have a use for them? “Even though car manufacturers no longer have a use for these specialised machines, there are numerous other industries that can greatly benefit from the shift in production,“ explains Dučić. “Just because complex gearboxes will no longer be used in cars in the future, it doesn’t mean they are no longer needed. There are still a multitude of other applications.“
For example, gearboxes play a crucial role in energy technology. In wind turbines, special gearboxes are used to efficiently convert the rotation of the turbine into electrical energy. The situation is similar with hydropower. The gearboxes have one thing in common: they must be manufactured with extreme precision to ensure they function reliably and lastingly.
Machines originally used for manufacturing gearboxes in the automotive industry can also find new applications in aerospace and engineering. They can be used to produce complex and precise components for automation and manufacturing plants. The ability of these machines to perform precise and repeatable operations makes them particularly valuable for producing parts used in industrial machinery and robotics.
“With the transformation in the automotive industry, many car manufacturers and suppliers are choosing to sell their high-quality machines through platforms like Surplex,“ explains Dučić. “This provides companies from other sectors with an affordable opportunity to acquire first-rate manufacturing equipment.”
To learn more, visit www.surplex.com.
