For decades, since cars were first created, mechanical engineers 100% dominated all auto manufacturers design groups. All other considerations were secondary to what mechanical engineers dictated. Things radically changed in the past 25 or so years as more and more electronics were stuffed into cars, now becoming a full 25%-30% of the final purchase price of a vehicle. And the dictates from mechanical engineers began to be surpassed by the dictates from electrical engineers in car design. Auto manufacturers went all in in two areas: electrification and autonomy, due to actual government pressures forcing business changes (various EV mandates, plus tax incentives) and astroturfed pressure (virtue points for going green, DEI, etc). So car companies hired a ton of people who know a lot about electronics, and the shift in that direction is (loosely) permanent. Meaning they can't just move back to all ICE vehicles as they would be stuck with an electrical engineering workforce when they really need a mechanical engineering workforce. It will take decades to undo the damage to the market and these businesses that government interference caused, versus what would have evolved naturally with no government involvement. IMHO.
For decades, since cars were first created, mechanical engineers 100% dominated all auto manufacturers design groups. All other considerations were secondary to what mechanical engineers dictated. Things *radically* changed in the past 25 or so years as more and more electronics were stuffed into cars, now becoming a full 25%-30% of the final purchase price of a vehicle. And the dictates from mechanical engineers began to be surpassed by the dictates from electrical engineers in car design. Auto manufacturers went *all in* in two areas: electrification and autonomy, due to actual government pressures forcing business changes (various EV mandates, plus tax incentives) and astroturfed pressure (virtue points for going green, DEI, etc). So car companies hired a ton of people who know a lot about electronics, and the shift in that direction is (loosely) permanent. Meaning they can't just move back to all ICE vehicles as they would be stuck with an electrical engineering workforce when they really need a mechanical engineering workforce. It will take decades to undo the damage to the market and these businesses that government interference caused, versus what would have evolved naturally with no government involvement. IMHO.
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