Despite Australia’s car manufacturing predominantly being moved offshore several years ago, there’s a possibility that cutting-edge Swedish brand Uniti could revive the industry by setting up its manufacturing facility in Australia.

The Swedish start-up announced in October that it will launch its crowdfunded electric ‘Uniti One’ next year. And while it will initially be sold in northern Europe, there’s every possibility that the car’s manufacturing could make the move to Australia, with Adelaide mooted as a possible location. This is because the city is one of the only few in Australian making infrastructural and regulatory preparations for future autonomy levels 4 and 5. And Uniti aims to take advantage of this.

Such new technology injects much hope into the Australian automotive space, paving the way for new growth, a range of diverse tech-centric job opportunities and a reinvigorated industry.

The Technology

Designed in Sweden and engineered in England, the three-seater Uniti One is compact, relatively affordable with an estimated price tag of $20,000 AUD, and will offer two battery sizes. Uniti claims that the standard 50kW electric motor will reach 150km from one charge, while a larger and more expensive battery will double that range.

Key to its efficiency is a body that weighs just 600kg – about half that of a city hatchback – which helps it accelerate to 100km per hour in 9.9 seconds. This, coupled with its small seven metre turning circle, will make it ideal for crowded city street driving.

What’s to come?

Led by Tesla, the Audi e-Tron and Jaguar I-Pace, many large carmakers are investing heavily in high-end electric vehicles. However in the coming years it is expected that we will see a growing number of small and affordable electric cars launched into the market, as new electric technology becomes increasingly mainstream.

With a more environmentally-minded market, evidence suggests that embracing electric technology will be a sensible move for automakers. Furthermore manufacturers are feeling the squeeze with European CO2 rules dictating that their fleets must average the equivalent of 57.4 miles per U.S. gallon in 2020. This regime is designed to force Europeans into electric cars, most of which are currently too expensive for the mainstream buyer, which makes the small, affordable electric car market an important area to be tapping into at this time

Continually evolving jobs

Australia’s automotive industry is in a state of transition between old and new world. And while automotive jobs may looks very different to how they once did, a more tech-focused industry is paving the way for those with skills in this area.

A list of the auto industry jobs of the future released by General Motors, cites Analytics Experts, Web Programmers and Autonomous Diving Engineers will be some of the more sought after roles within the automotive industry in years to come.

According to GM’s Global Vice President of Vehicle Components and Subsystems Ken Kelzer, the jobs which will see an increase in demand over the next few years will be focused on integrating consumer electronics into vehicles, electric capabilities and automation.

“If you look at our hiring statistics, 15 years ago it was by far mostly mechanical engineers, now you’re seeing that change significantly to the electrical side,” Mr Kelzer told Forbes.

It can be seen that these roles are becoming increasingly sought after as automakers continue to explore ways of making electric vehicles more powerful, adaptable and accessible to the current marketplace.

If you interested in finding a job within the automotive industry, contact Bayside Group Automotive. As specialists in the automotive space, our Consultants work closely with candidates to find new opportunities within some of the biggest, best and most career-rewarding automotive brands in Australia and abroad.