This past Tuesday (15 November), Ford Motor Company CEO, Jim Farley, made a thrilling claim, saying the manufacturing of electric vehicles would need 40% less labour than internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
By now it has become part of EV lore that the maintenance of these vehicles will be much cheaper owing to the simplicity of EVs compared to their fossil-fuel counterparts. But Farley’s claim, which follows that simplicity also means simplicity in production, has not often been discussed.
Farley, speaking at a conference in Detroit, said this meant the company has to pursue more vertical integration by retraining workers instead of laying them off in order for Ford to manufacture more parts in-house. This will hark back to the heydays of Ford when Henry Ford owned forests, iron mines, limestone quarries and even a rubber plantation in Brazil in an attempt to wholly control the company’s supply chain.
Farley said: “If Henry Ford came back to life, he would have thought the last 60 years weren’t that exciting, but he would love it right now because we’re totally reinventing the company.”
In the light of Ford’s target of reaching 50% EV sales by 2030, Farley acknowledged that the transition would be challenging and that there would be “storm clouds”.
Farley pointed out that the battery production process was one area where jobs could be added and workers could be retrained.
GWM South Africa has introduced a new 3.0 litre turbodiesel engine across its line-up, fitting it to both the P500 bakkie and the Tank 500 SUV. The P500 becomes the first vehicle in the range to receive the new powertrain, while the Tank 500 gains a diesel alternative to its existing HEV derivative.
Affordability is driving a structural shift in South Africa’s vehicle market, with SUVs gaining significant ground as consumers increasingly seek competitively priced, well-equipped vehicles.
South Africa’s used car market continued to grow during the first half of 2026, despite pressure on household budgets and a 25 basis point interest rate increase in May.
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Cars are the ultimate symbol of freedom, independence and individualism. They offer the freedom to ‘go anywhere,’ whenever it suits and with whom one chooses.
Sarah Redshaw
Toyota is sharpening its focus on hydrogen as a practical route to cleaner heavy-duty transport, using IAA Transportation 2026 to showcase new fuel cell technology and partnerships with leading commercial vehicle manufacturers.
To mark World EV Day, Zero Carbon Charge (CHARGE) has launched the N3 EV Real-World Test. The initiative will turn everyday electric vehicle journeys between Johannesburg and Durban into a growing source of real-world data for South African motorists and fleet operators considering the switch to electric.
Electric and hybrid vehicles are changing more than what South Africans drive. They are changing what happens behind the workshop doors, too.
