Auto industry
High demand: VW drives special shifts in Wolfsburg
VW most recently was about overcapacity, job cuts and impending work closings. Now the manufacturer in Wolfsburg surprisingly starts special shifts. There is a reason.
The most recently crising car manufacturer Volkswagen surprisingly grows up the production in its Wolfsburg main plant. In May, June and July, special shifts are planned on eight weekends, a group spokeswoman confirmed on request. First, the “Wolfsburger Nachrichten” had reported about it.
According to an internal message that is available to the German Press Agency, all production lines in Wolfsburg are affected. The Golf and Tiguan models in particular are built here. 16 special shifts were set in the assembly alone, and more are added in body construction and paint shop. This was justified with the “current program situation”.
Combined business helps
Unlike in the pure e-car factories Emden or Zwickau, only combustion models are built in Wolfsburg that are currently in demand. In the first quarter, the Volkswagen brand sold a total of five percent more cars than a year ago.
Last year, VW had already built more cars in the main plant than in the weak in previous years, while layers were located at other locations, especially in the electrical models.
35,000 jobs fall away by 2030
It was only in December that VW and IG Metall agreed on an extensive savings program, including job cuts and melting overcapacity. 35,000 of the 130,000 jobs in Germany are to be eliminated by 2030, the technical capacity in the main plant of more than 900,000 cars per year decreased to less than 600,000. The golf production is intended to hand over Wolfsburg to Mexico, in return to get new e-model from Zwickau.
The main plant has not been fully utilized for a long time: 523,000 cars were built there last year, and less than 500,000 in the previous year. According to previous information, it is said to be up to 600,000 again this year.
In Wolfsburg, VW produces primarily for the European market. Exports to China and the USA hardly play a role here. In addition to Golf and Tiguan, the Touran and Tayron models are also being built. The Tiguan has been the group’s best -selling model for years.
dpa
Source: Stern
