英文【奥纬咨询】为什么汽车制造商需要关注每辆车的劳动力成本

GETTING UNDER THE HOOD OF AUTOMOTIVE LABOR COST PER VEHICLEDaniel HirschJim SchmidtJennifer Wong© Oliver Wyman2Getting Under The Hood Of Automotive Labor Cost Per VehicleThe global automotive industry is facing significant new challenges to growth and profitability — from tariffs in the United States to increasingly aggressive Chinese car marketing outside of China and a simultaneous slowdown in sales of battery electric vehicles. The heightened competition and complicated economics are putting pressure on automakers worldwide to balance production, right-size capacity, and manage costs effectively to stay competitive.The current environment is shining a new light on labor cost per vehicle, which considers both wages and productivity, and represents a key metric in determining an automaker’s competitiveness and profitability. Because of the measurement’s increasing importance, Oliver Wyman’s Harbour Report team recently completed an in-depth look at labor cost per vehicle across more than 250 vehicle assembly plants worldwide, using publicly available data and third-party sources. The new analysis also considers sourcing strategies in calculating labor costs per vehicle.Beyond labor cost per vehicle, the report goes on to examine conversion cost, which is calculated by looking at direct and indirect labor costs, overhead including rent, energy consumption, equipment maintenance, and production supplies, and depreciation. The focus on labor cost and productivity provides a window into a plant’s competitiveness as labor typically represents 65% to 70% of the total conversion cost.Exhibit 1: Labor cost is a major component of conversion costsOther(Indirect Material, Depreciation, Energy)65%35%Labor CostSource: Oliver Wyman analysisBased on the data, we created four groupings of car companies with similar labor-cost-per-vehicle attributes but often with very different challenges beyond labor cost. The analysis reveals substantial differences in labor productivity and wage rates among leading automotive manufacturers, which could come into play as the competitive atmosphere intensifies.© Oliver Wyman3Getting Under The Hood Of Automotive Labor Cost Per VehicleExhibit 2: Four main automaker archetypes based on labor cost per vehicleIn US dollars ($), 2024Euro premiumsEV-only manufacturersMainstream model manufacturersChinese car manufacturers2,2321,660880585Source: Oliver Wyman analysis, automotive manufacturer websites, original data source GlobalData, German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), LiepinHERE ARE DESCRIPTIONS OF THE FOUR ARCHETYPES WE DEVELOPEDEURO PREMIUMSWith the highest labor cost per vehicle at an average of $2,232, this category includes a select group of European car companies that produce premium automobiles, such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, and Jaguar Land Rover. The Euro premium category’s average labor cost per vehicle is nearly $570 more than the next group.Even though Volkswagen doesn’t often compete directly against