r/Economics 1d ago

News Honda embraces AI, robots at China EV plant to slash staffing

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Automobiles/Electric-vehicles/Honda-embraces-AI-robots-at-China-EV-plant-to-slash-staffing
21 Upvotes

9 comments sorted by

u/AutoModerator 1d ago

Hi all,

A reminder that comments do need to be on-topic and engage with the article past the headline. Please make sure to read the article before commenting. Very short comments will automatically be removed by automod. Please avoid making comments that do not focus on the economic content or whose primary thesis rests on personal anecdotes.

As always our comment rules can be found here

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

3

u/AdSevere1274 1d ago

Chinese EVs have become better. They are not buying the Japanese so they are reducing the cost.

GUANGZHOU -- Honda Motor is using artificial intelligence and automation to streamline production at a new Chinese electric vehicle plant, cutting staffing needs by 30% compared with its conventional factories.

...

With a relatively limited lineup of new energy vehicles, Honda's new vehicle sales in China fell roughly 30% in 2024 to 850,000 units. Of them, only around 10,000 were EVs.

-13

u/_Steve_Zissou_ 1d ago

Awesome. We need to move production out of China. No need to support an authoritarian regime with our money. Bring all the manufacturing and all the automation back to the US.

5

u/Salt_Abrocoma_4688 23h ago edited 23h ago

So much for the argument that we're getting thousands upon thousands of new jobs. Now we are just pulling for energy-sucking factories and a shitton more air pollution?

Also, aren't you flatly admitting Trump's jobs line is a bunch of bullshit?

-7

u/_Steve_Zissou_ 22h ago

Oh no. I hope we can cope with the dirty air :(

1

u/throwaway00119 17h ago

Me too. Make the air as shitty as possible. That’s how we will know America is great again. 

2

u/oursland 14h ago

China is the leader in automation. That's why they're "cheap". Their labor costs are not the lowest, their technical skill and automation is just head and shoulders above competing nations.

Apple CEO Tim Cook explains it clearly.

1

u/Dadoftwingirls 5h ago

No need for the world to support the authoritarian regime in Washington, either. We've already started boycotting you, and that action is not only far more effective than any tariffs, but it's also something that no one can stop.

Global trade made Americans very wealthy, and now they are going to step on a rake and destroy themselves. Pretty funny, actually.