Why robot leader ABB says the EV shift 'changed everything'

The automotive industry was very different a couple of years ago for robot makers such as ABB. Most vehicle manufacturers were focused on the same thing: how to optimize final assembly. "EVs changed everything," said Joerg Reger, who leads the Switzerland-based company's robot unit. "Now everybody is looking to fix the big problems instead of fine-tuning." The No. 1 challenge for EVs is cost, which ABB is addressing by making its robots more adaptable and more autonomous. Reger also told Automotive News Europe Correspondent Nick Gibbs why ABB is seeing a surge in investment from European automakers during a recent interview at the company's R&D center in Friedberg, Germany.