How Do Electric Vehicles Work, and Why Are They Reshaping Carmakers Like Volkswagen?
4 min read / 2026-09-04
Electric vehicles run on batteries and motors instead of engines and fuel, and the global shift toward them is one reason legacy carmakers are restructuring their workforces.
What it means
An electric vehicle, or EV, replaces the petrol or diesel engine with a battery pack and an electric motor. Instead of burning fuel to create small explosions that push pistons, an EV pulls stored electricity from its battery and sends it to a motor that spins the wheels directly. This is a completely different kind of machine from the inside out, which is why building EVs requires new factories, new suppliers, and often fewer workers than traditional engine assembly lines.
How it works
A large battery pack, usually built from lithium-ion cells, sits under the floor of the car. When you press the accelerator, the car's computer tells the battery to release electricity to the motor. The motor uses magnets and electric current to create spinning force, called torque, that turns the wheels. There is no engine, no exhaust pipe, and far fewer moving parts than a traditional car, which also means EVs need fewer workers per vehicle on the assembly line.
A simple example
Think of an EV battery like a giant version of your phone's power bank, except sized to push a two-tonne car down a highway. Charging it is similar to plugging in your phone overnight, just at a much higher power level, either at home overnight or at a fast-charging station in about 20 to 40 minutes for a good top-up, depending on the charger and battery size.
Why people talk about it
Governments in Europe, India, and China are pushing EV adoption to cut air pollution and reduce dependence on imported oil. But EV demand growth in Europe has slowed recently, even as Chinese manufacturers have scaled up cheaper EV production fast. This squeeze, weaker-than-expected sales alongside rising competition, has hit traditional automakers like Volkswagen, which invested heavily in EVs but now faces slower-than-hoped returns and pressure to cut costs, including jobs.
What to remember
EVs are simpler mechanically but require different manufacturing skills, mostly battery and software engineering rather than traditional engine-building. When EV demand does not grow as fast as companies expected, and cheaper competitors enter the market, legacy carmakers can end up with excess factory capacity and workers trained for older technology, a mismatch that often leads to layoffs and restructuring.
Key words
Lithium-ion battery
A rechargeable battery type commonly used in EVs and phones, storing electricity through chemical reactions between lithium-based materials.
Torque
The twisting force that turns a vehicle's wheels, produced by an engine or, in EVs, by an electric motor.
Fast charger
A high-power charging station that can refill a significant part of an EV battery much quicker than a home charger.
Key facts
- 1EVs use lithium-ion battery packs and electric motors instead of internal combustion engines.
- 2EV assembly lines typically need fewer workers per vehicle than traditional engine-and-transmission factories.
- 3Chinese EV makers have rapidly increased low-cost EV exports, intensifying competition for European automakers.
- 4Fast chargers can refill a significant portion of an EV battery in 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the charger type.
- 5The International Energy Agency tracks global EV sales trends, which show uneven growth across regions like Europe and China.
Why it matters
Understanding how EVs work explains why the shift to electric cars changes what factories and workers a company like Volkswagen actually needs, directly connecting to its recent job cuts.
Sources
- International Energy Agency
- BBC News
- India Ministry of Heavy Industries
