VW pauses EV production at German plants due to low demand
Volkswagen is taking a breather at some of its key German factories, hitting pause for a week in October at the Dresden and Zwickau plants where they build electric cars for VW, Audi, and Cupra.
The Osnabruck plant will also shorten its workweek, and the Emden site might follow suit—all because fewer people in Europe are buying electric vehicles right now.
Zwickau plant handles nearly half of VW Group's global EV registrations
Zwickau is a big deal for VW—it switched to making only EVs back in 2020 and now handles nearly half of VW Group's global EV registrations.
But with only 16% of new car buyers in Europe choosing full electrics (while hybrids get 37%), VW is shifting gears.
CEO Oliver Blume openly admitted there's been a "clear drop" in demand, especially with folks still worried about battery range and charging options.
So, VW's adding more shifts for traditional cars at Wolfsburg while automakers across Europe rethink their EV plans.