Dear reader,
Viewed through a mobility lens, 2025 was not a year of good news. Crisis here, job cuts there, disputes and fear of the future there. A change is needed. To do this, old patterns must be broken. The car industry, for example, is still too often an industry of many men of the same age.
After all: In our newly published list of the 100 most influential women in German business, the automotive industry is more strongly represented than almost any other industry. Who is there this year find out here
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We, the Mobility team at manager magazin, are taking time to relax in the next two weeks so that we can start the coming year with a fresh perspective. The next mobility newsletter will appear on January 8, 2026.
Here are our topics of the week one last time for 2025:
Why Bosch is falling ever deeper
Why Mercedes is looking for billions again
What a survey reveals about the mood in Audi development
Why the tree burns at Brose shortly before Christmas
Topic of the week: Why Bosch is falling ever deeper
Bosch was something like Germany’s favorite company for decades. As a foundation company, it is more social than many others, and as an oasis for inventors it is often more innovative. But now there is a threat of loss of importance. The tanker, which, among other things, is still the largest automotive supplier in the world, is listing heavily. Thousands of jobs are being cut. The mantra “I can do it at Bosch and stop at my Gosch” has given way to angry protests, and numerous employees are repeatedly taking to the streets. How could it come to this? And is there a way out? My colleagues Margret Hucko, Martin Mehringer and Franz Anko-Hubik went looking for clues and describe: how Bosch lost its business and its employees
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Heads: Gernot Döllner ++ Ursula von der Leyen ++ Christian Kötz ++ Peter Hochholdinger
Last week, a hundred firefighters went to the Brose factory in Hallstadt near Bamberg. Luckily she was able to move away quickly; Apart from the slight development of smoke, nothing else happened. However, a few days later, the mood at the supplier was ablaze. Shortly before patriarch Michael Stoschek (78) wants to slow down again, he (presumably) causes another earthquake. Four managers are affected: CEO Stefan Krug (61) gets a new contract, but has to hand over the production area to Sabine Neuß (57). Drive boss Raymond Mutz (58) flies and is replaced by Bernd Schemer (57). Mutz’s resignation in particular leaves many Brosians stunned.
Deepdrive: billion dollar business subscription
Many automobile manufacturers have been criticized on social networks for offering seat heating as part of a subscription. No wonder: in this area, the average car buyer is quite old. But little by little, cars are also becoming interesting for generations who grew up with subscription models. According to an Oliver Wyman study, digital services are one of the most important automotive growth areas. The market is expected to grow from $9 to $14 billion by 2030. For automobile manufacturers, this means opportunity and risk at the same time; my colleague Theo Harzer writes: Almost every second person can imagine to change the car brand in order to get a better digital offer.
One could say benevolently: Ford is beset by the curse of his supposedly good deed. The US car manufacturer is one of the few in the scene that reports separate figures for its electric car business. It’s just unfortunate that CEO Jim Farley (63) got completely lost with his electrical plans. He regularly has to admit the division’s horrendous losses. These now culminate in write-offs of an insane $19.5 billion. The group is stamping its electric flagship F-150 Lightning and a battery joint venture with SK On. There are more details here Ford’s nasty electric shock.
I wish you a Christmas free of turbulence and a good start into the new year!
Yours, Christoph Seyerlein
Do you have any wishes, suggestions or information that we should take care of journalistically? You can reach my colleagues in the Mobility team and me at manage.mobility@manager-magazin.de
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