Pillin says pragmatism, scale and flexibility will decide winners as the industry rethinks its electrification push.
19 Sep 2025 | 10214 Views | By Ketan Thakkar
Bosch Mobility Chief Technology Officer Mathias Pillin has cautioned that the auto industry’s overzealous rush into electrification has led to costly mistakes, particularly in Europe, where regulatory deadlines and political signals pushed OEMs into complex EV architectures he described as “solitaires.”
Pillin said that expectations of a rapid tipping ...
This is an Autocar Pro Plus article. Subscribe to continue reading.
Bosch Mobility Chief Technology Officer Mathias Pillin has cautioned that the auto industry’s overzealous rush into electrification has led to costly mistakes, particularly in Europe, where regulatory deadlines and political signals pushed OEMs into complex EV architectures he described as “solitaires.”
Pillin said that expectations of a rapid tipping point in battery EV adoption have not materialized. “We also thought that this tipping point in the new S-curve, meaning better adoption of battery electric vehicles, would come fast and really strong because consumers would adopt this technology, given the political boundary conditions and other factors. We have also seen that the amount of complexity in these e-powertrains is huge,” he noted.
Instead of scaling efficiently, Western automakers fragmented their portfolios. “The rest of the world’s engineers thought they could differentiate a lot with electric powertrains, and as a result, the industry has generated a lot of solitaires. I think that was a mistake,” Pillin said.
China’s Standardization Advantage
China, he pointed out, has been faster and leaner. “The Chinese are going very much for a standardized, off-the-shelf ‘I take what you have’ approach, and as a result, they are cost-effective and fast in producing models.” This has helped Chinese automakers scale up EVs far more efficiently, outpacing Europe and the US.
For Bosch, the volatility in demand across ICE, hybrids and EVs is a challenge, but one that plays to its strengths. “If demand is volatile, it’s difficult to steer investments and other decisions. This also generates some pain on our end. But in the end, we are well positioned despite the volatility in demand across the different powertrains,” Pillin said.
That confidence comes from Bosch’s scale and technology breadth. Between 2021 and 2023, Bosch invested €3 billion in semiconductors and electromobility, strengthening its supply chain and product depth. The company also employs over 20,000 engineers in India alone, largely focused on software, AI and mobility technologies.
In China, Bosch already claims the No. 1 position in electric powertrains by volume, giving it a leadership edge in the world’s largest EV market. At the same time, it continues to maintain a commanding position in classical ICE systems, supplying more than 50 OEMs globally.
This multi-powertrain portfolio — ICE, electric, hybrid and hydrogen — backed by over 400,000 employees worldwide and €91.6 billion in 2024 sales, allows Bosch to hedge against volatility and remain indispensable to OEMs across regions.
Diesel Still Matters
Despite the global EV push, Pillin reaffirmed that diesel plays a crucial role, particularly in heavy-duty applications. “We see that diesel is still a beautiful technology for commercial vehicles, for example. If you compare it with battery electric, especially for long-haul trucks or off-road vehicles, it may not be such a good idea because the battery pack is very heavy,” he said. Fuel cells and hydrogen are emerging alternatives, but diesel remains a practical and scalable solution.
Mathias Pillin’s remarks underscore Bosch’s belief that the transition to sustainable mobility will not follow a single straight line. The risk of over-engineering “solitaires” is real. Still, Bosch’s ability to deliver multiple powertrain solutions at scale — supported by billions in investment, tens of thousands of engineers and a global OEM customer base — gives it a strategic edge in an uncertain market.
“Flexibility, cost discipline and technological breadth will define the winners in this transition,” Pillin concluded.