How the world’s largest auto parts supplier is evolving its business for the EV era
I was invited to tour Bosch’s Charleston, South Carolina, facility to see firsthand the evolution of the world’s largest auto parts supplier as the industry transitions to electric vehicles.
Stepping into the facility is like entering Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, but instead of chocolate rivers and little orange people, it’s filled with highly trained, motivated workers and next-generation technology working together in sync.
The company uses industry 4.0 production methods featuring artificial intelligence, precision lasers, robotics, and more to build precise, reliable auto parts at scale.
Bosch’s Charleston facility makes critical components for the auto industry shipping them out to nearly every major automaker, including Tesla, Ford, GM, and one of its latest customers, Rivian.
However, as the President of Bosch in North America, Mike Mansuetti, explains, the auto industry is “rapidly evolving” toward electric vehicles. The auto parts supplier is investing in a sustainable future by introducing new EV products and parts for its customers, bringing the technology to market at scale.
Mr. Manuetti says:
We’ve invested more than $6 billion dollars in electromobility development and
in 2021 our global orders for electromobility surpassed $10 billion dollars for the
first time. Local production helps to advance our customers’ regional
electrification strategies, and further supports the market demand for
electrification.
Bosch announced in January 2020 that it would begin to slow production of its diesel powertrain components to focus on sustainable solutions. A prime example of the rapidly evolving industry, the building is now being used to build electric motors for the Rivian R1T.
Bosch is building its portfolio to power electric vehicles
Bosch began production of the electric motors in October for the Rivian R1T, marking a “new era of electrification” for the global auto parts leader. The manufacturing site covers around 200,000 square feet in the previously used diesel components area.
The electric motor consists of two primary parts – the rotor and the stator. The stator features winded copper bars for superior efficiency and power density. The coils receive energy from alternating current coming via power electronics from the battery.
Meanwhile, the rotor is filled with magnets by the process of transfer molding to promote fewer air pockets. As the current flows into the stator, the rotor’s magnetic field chases that of the stator, generating energy that powers the vehicle’s wheels. The casing then consists of an aluminum A-shed and B-shed that enclose the unit.
The company utilizes high-tech AI-powered machinery and other robotics to reduce its carbon footprint while producing faster, more accurate results.
According to Bosch, its electric motor features 98% efficiency. In addition, the process is scalable, allowing more freedom to customers, delivering anywhere from 50 kW up to 500 kW with a torque range from 150 Nm to 1000 Nm and up to 680 HP.
Since electric vehicle motors differ in size, scope, and material, the new production process came with challenges. Perhaps, more importantly, the shift to electric vehicles is creating a gap in workers to fill these high-tech manufacturing jobs.
Realizing this, Bosch is providing reskilling and upskilling opportunities for its employees while partnering with local schools to ensure there is the talent needed to propel the future of the auto industry.
Investing in electromobility training
As Bosch explained, the transition would not be possible without the workers. To accelerate the process, employees were sent to Bosch’s plants in Germany for training and to learn how they could make the manufacturing process more efficient with automation.
As a result, these are not your typical manufacturing jobs. These are high-tech jobs that involve skills such as software programming and working with automated machines.
If you think about it, when you bring your car in for a checkup, it’s not a toolbox the mechanic brings out anymore. It’s often a laptop designed to pinpoint the issue automatically. Electric vehicles are more sophisticated and therefore require a different skill set to work on.
Vehicle suppliers play an integral role in the US economy, contributing to around 2.5% of GDP. As electric vehicles continue gaining momentum, surpassing gas-powered vehicle sales, the workforce will need to be able to support the transition.
Bosch’s $260 million expansion is expected to create 350 net new jobs by 2025, and this is just the start. To position itself for the future in the auto industry, Bosch is partnering with local schools in Charleston, such as Trident Technical College, to integrate electric vehicle education into the curriculum.
The auto supplier’s corporate foundation, The Bosch Community Fund, has provided $2.5 million in STEM education efforts in the Charleston area since 2013.
Electrek’s Take
With electric vehicles on track to claim 13% of global new car sales in 2022, the rapidly evolving auto industry is establishing a new stream of jobs. What Bosch is doing is taking employees that were previously working on parts for gas-powered cars and training them for the future of the industry.
However, the company is finding that there are major stigmatizations and built-in perceptions around manufacturing jobs that don’t apply anymore.
People will not be interested in what they don’t know. These manufacturing jobs utilize skills that some kids use essentially every day, like video games that require quick thinking and analytical skills.
The issue is that educators are unaware of what future manufacturing jobs will look like, thanks to the electric vehicle revolution. Teachers are not pushing for these jobs because they don’t associate them with the skills that they will be using. Same idea with parents.
To support the new EV era, what needs to happen is a change in perception that gets people interested in the auto industry’s future and putting the US back on track to become a manufacturing powerhouse.
Last year, new electric vehicle jobs soared 26.2%, establishing 21,961 new positions. And this year, the pace has accelerated even further with new climate initiatives and substantial investments from foreign automakers on US soil.
Since the beginning of 2021, companies have invested around $85 billion in manufacturing operations for electric vehicles, batteries, and chargers, all of which require a new set of skilled workers.
The opportunities electric vehicles are creating in the United States are already showing, and the EV market share is just reaching 6%. Imagine what will happen in another year.
Bosch, the largest auto supplier worldwide, will play a significant role in the transformation. During my visit, they seemed eager and up to the challenge of supporting the incoming wave of electric vehicles and the future of the industry.
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Environment
Kia’s electric van was spotted in the US again, but this time it looks a little different
Is Kia’s electric van finally coming to the US? The Kia PV5 was caught testing with a unique design, hinting it’s destined for the US.
Is Kia’s electric van coming to the US?
Although Kia has yet to announce it publicly, all signs point to the PV5 launching in the US. In February, the electric van was first spotted charging at a station in Indiana.
A few photos and a video sent to Electrek confirmed it was indeed the Kia PV5. The sighting came somewhat as a surprise, as the only official statement from Kia said the PV5 would arrive in Europe and South Korea this year, followed by “launches in other markets” in 2026, but no mention was made of the US.
After another PV5 was spotted in Arizona, rumors that Kia’s electric van was coming to the US began to surface again.
Kia still has yet to confirm or deny a US launch, but another sighting hints at the PV5’s imminent debut. The latest spotting, by KindelAuto, appears to be of the US-spec 2026 Kia PV5.
It looks about the same as the Kia PV5 Passenger, which is already available in parts of Europe and South Korea. However, although it’s not very clear, Kia’s electric van appears to have added side marker lights, a requirement in the US.
Following its launch in the UK earlier this year, the Kia PV5 Passenger is now being introduced to new European markets.
In the UK, it starts at £32,995 ($44,000) on the road. In Germany, the PV5 Passenger is priced from €38,290 ($45,000) or €249 per month.
Kia’s electric van is available in two variants: Passenger, for everyday driving, and Cargo, for business use. The PV5 Passenger is available with two battery pack options: 51.5 kWh and 71.2 kWh, providing WLTP ranges of 183 miles and 256 miles, respectively. Meanwhile, several more variants are on the way.
During its PV5 Tech Day in July, we learned that Kia plans to launch seven PV5 body types, including a Light Camper, a premium “Prime” Passenger model, and an open bed version.
We’ll have to wait for the official word, but there’s still hope Kia’s electric van will make it to the US. We should find out soon. Can we get the EV5 too? That might be pushing it.
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A new review of US Energy Information Administration (EIA) data by the SUN DAY Campaign reveals that in July, solar-powered electricity shot up by over 30%, while wind grew by almost 14% in the US.
Solar continues to break records in July
EIA’s latest monthly “Electric Power Monthly” report (with data through July 31, 2025), once again confirms that solar is the fastest growing among the major sources of US electricity.
In July alone, electrical generation by utility-scale solar (i.e., >1-megawatt (MW)) surged by 36.9% compared to July 2024, while “estimated” small-scale (e.g., rooftop) solar PV increased by 12.7%. Combined, they grew by 30.4% and provided 9.4% of US electrical output, up from 7.5% year-over-year.
Moreover, utility-scale solar thermal and photovoltaic expanded by 37.4%, while generation from small-scale systems rose by 11.0% during the first seven months of 2025 year-over-year. The combination of utility-scale and small-scale solar increased by 29.9% and was 8.9% (utility-scale: 6.7%; small-scale: 2.2%) of total US electrical generation for January to July – up from 7.0% a year earlier.
As a consequence, solar-generated electricity year-to-date (YTD) easily surpassed – by over 54% – the output of US hydropower plants (5.7%). In July alone, solar-generated electricity more than doubled the output of hydropower. In fact, in both July and YTD, solar produced more electricity than hydropower, biomass, and geothermal combined.
And for the first time ever, 4% more electricity was generated in July by utility-scale solar (33,119-GWh) than by wind farms (31,831-GWh). Including small-scale systems, solar outproduced wind by over 35% during the month (43,092 GWh).
Wind is still on a growth trajectory
US wind turbines produced 10.8% of US electricity in the first seven months of 2025, an increase of 3.5% year-over-year, and they almost doubled electrical generation by the nation’s hydropower plants.
In July alone, wind-generated electricity was 13.8% greater than a year before.
Wind + solar are beating coal, nuclear
During the first seven months of 2025, electrical generation by wind plus utility-scale and small-scale solar provided 19.6% of the US total, up from 17.8% during the first seven months of 2024.
Further, the EIA reports that the combination of wind and solar provided 19.1% more electricity than did coal during the first seven months of 2025, and 14.1% more than nuclear. In fact, as solar and wind grew rapidly, nuclear-generated electricity dropped by 1.0%.
Renewables are still on the rise
All renewables combined (wind, solar, hydropower, biomass, and geothermal) produced 9.9% more electricity between January and July than they did a year ago and provided 26.7% of total US electricity production compared to 25.1% 12 months earlier.
Electrical generation by the combination of all renewables grew three times faster than total US electrical generation (9.9% vs. 3.3%). Renewables’ share of electrical generation is now second to only that of natural gas, which saw a decline in electrical output by almost 3.5% during the first seven months of 2025.
“Notwithstanding enactment of the anti-renewables provisions in the Trump megabill, solar and wind continue to power ahead,” noted the SUN DAY Campaign’s executive director, Ken Bossong. “Meanwhile, the electrical output YTD by the Republicans’ preferred technologies – nuclear power and natural gas – has actually fallen.”
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Lucid Motors (LCID) delivered the first Gravity Robotaxi EV to Nuro on Wednesday, marking a milestone in its partnership with Uber.
Lucid delivers the first Gravity Robotaxi EV to Nuro
In July, Lucid announced a partnership with Uber and Nuro to deploy 20,000 autonomous Gravity SUVs over the next six years.
The alliance is already on the move. Lucid announced that it delivered the first Gravity EV to Nuro on Wednesday, which will be used for the Uber robotaxi fleet.
Lucid’s electric SUV will be equipped with Nuro’s Level 4 self-driving tech, including the sensors and other hardware.
Starting in 2026, Uber aims to launch “20,000 or more” Lucid robotaxi’s over the next six years. The vehicles will join Uber’s network and will be available to use through the Uber App. To help kick-start the alliance, Uber is investing $300 million into Lucid.
Lucid said delivering the first vehicle, “marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter,” teasing that more is to come soon.
Although Gravity production at its plant in Casa Grande, Arizona, was limited due to supply chain issues earlier this year, Lucid said it has mostly resolved the problems.
Lucid’s interim CEO, Marc Winterhoff, said during an interview with Brew Markets on Tuesday that the Gravity has “so many orders” that the company will honor the $7,500 EV tax credit until the end of the year.
Introducing our Robotaxi Engineering Fleet.
Lucid has delivered the first @Uber-exclusive robotaxi engineering vehicle to @nuro for integration with the Nuro Driver.
This marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter—stay tuned. pic.twitter.com/It5rWqFHS2— Lucid Motors (@LucidMotors) September 24, 2025
According to Winterhoff, Lucid doesn’t “want to tell order holders, you know what, you’re out of luck, we didn’t deliver in time.
Despite many of its luxury rivals, including Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW, pulling back on electrification plans, Winterhoff said Lucid will remain a pure EV company.
Winterhoff said the loss of the federal $7,500 EV tax credit will have a limited impact on sales due to Lucid’s market position and pricing.
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