KUKA Talks E-Mobility： Robotics, Innovation & the Road Ahead

Hello, my name is Thomas Schwittberger and I'm Global Business Development Manager at KUKA. Automation is the driving force behind e-mobility. The mobility sector is responsible for more than 20% of the global CO2 emissions. That's why it is important to have a transition here. To make that transition fast, automation is a key enabler. What is the driving force behind e-mobility and automation in India? What advantages do you see? Presently, India holds a beginner position in any production segment. Therefore, the numbers are not substantial. Hence, at present, the robots or automation used in the e-mobility sector are limited. However, the automation is crucial for enhancing the efficiency, precision and scalability in the e-mobility sector. Therefore, we can foresee the usage of automation and robotics is going to substantially increase. So, in the future, robotics will play a significant role in providing substantial push to the electric vehicle and electric mobility inside India. But, what is the situation in South Korea? How do you see the future of automation in e-mobility over the next 5 to 10 years, both globally and locally? In the next 5 to 10 years, automation in e-mobility will grow rapidly, especially in battery and EV production. In South Korea, strong electronics and semiconductor industries will support this automation in key areas like battery cells and power systems. Local smart factory initiatives will also speed up this shift. What challenges exist in automation of e-mobility production in Vietnam and how do you plan to address them? Vietnam's e-mobility sector is developing rapidly, especially in battery manufacturing, powertrain assembly and electronics integration. The biggest challenge lies in scaling automation systems that can handle high-volume production while remaining adaptable to changing product designs. At KUKA, we address this with intelligent modular robotic solutions tailored to Vietnam's industrial environment. But, what is the situation like in the country that was the first to bring electric production vehicles to market? How do the requirements for automation in e-mobility differ in the U.S. compared to other countries? Whether it's a traditional automaker or a startup, many of these plants are being set up in legacy facilities, so we have to consider a lot of our prior automotive experience when bridging the gap to this new technology and how we're setting up these automation systems. China is a trendsetter in e-mobility and has the largest market for electric vehicles worldwide. What role has robotics played in this development? Robotics serves as the cornerstone for China to lead the EV wave, enabling production lines faster switching, shortening manufacturing cycles through welding automation via modular units, and ensuring balance between scale production and customization. What developments and trends have you observed and how do they impact the competitiveness of the German automotive industry? We can observe several trends in the e-mobility market. First of all, cars are getting more smart. They're getting more intelligent. For battery electric vehicles, it's important that the range is getting increased and the efficiency, but also the charging times are getting improved every month. But most important for the German and the European battery electric vehicle market is the price reduction. So cost-attractive battery electric vehicles are important to increase the share of battery electric vehicles in the market. What role does India play in the e-mobility market? India is actively promoting electric vehicles through initiatives like Production Link Initiative Scheme, which offers incentives for electric vehicle production and subsidies for the charging infrastructure. The country aims to have 123 million electric vehicles on road by 2032, with significant growth in the electric vehicle portfolio. Further investments in the infrastructure of the charging, as well as India's goals towards the CO2 emission reduction by 2030, will play a key role in EV adoption and achieving sustainable urban mobility. Different countries use robots in different ways. In which areas are the robots currently being used in South Korea? Where do you see further potential or the opportunities? In South Korea, robots are widely used in automotive, electronics, and logistics for tasks like assembly and inspection. In the future, there is a growing potential in customized production, B2C industries, and smaller business where automation can help to address labor shortage and improve efficiency. In Vietnam, the government has set ambitious targets for adoption of electronic vehicles aiming for EVs make up 10% of all new vehicles by 2030. How do you plan to achieve this? Vietnam's EV roadmap presents a bold yet realistic vision, provided we harness automation effectively. To meet this target, manufacturers must scale up production swiftly while maintaining international quality standards. KUKA enables this with an end-to-end robotic system for EV battery production, power electronics, and final assembly. Our goal is to accelerate time-to-market while minimizing cost per unit, ensuring Vietnam remains competitive in the global EV landscape. But it's not just about speed, it's also about efficiency. How do you view the current roles of robotics, particularly in terms of increasing efficiency and reducing cost? Focusing on process automation to meet customer demand, robotics are a solution to increase productivity. What are the key requirements for robotic production automation among Chinese EV makers? Key requirements include a rapid R&D to mass production cycle shortening to meet market iteration, production line fast switching via modular units for multi-modal and small batch production, precision control and quality traceability in welding and assembly, as well as in line with local requirements and global safety compliance. What is the most important contribution of our KUKA? The most important contribution we can make at KUKA is to provide automation equipment. At KUKA, we have a wide portfolio of robots, of HEVs, of automation solutions we can provide to make this e-mobility transition possible. At the end, I want to thank you all for joining this and let's all work on this e-mobility transition.