Sparpaket bei VW: Experte zu bedrohten VW-Werken: „Wettrennen ums Überleben“

VW's recent board decisions have heightened competition between struggling production sites, according to automotive industry expert Werner Olle. "A race for survival has begun," Olle told Deutsche Presse-Agentur. The expert believes not only the management, but also the unions and works councils, need to find solutions to save the affected locations.

In Zwickau, the city is constructing a circular economy sector alongside auto production, but this will only provide limited prospects for current employees and lesser benefits for suppliers. Olle doesn't see armament as an alternative to the large-scale factory. The only viable path forward is continuing to build cars. Stellantis, a competitor to Volkswagen including brands like Opel, Peugeot, Fiat, and Citroën, is facing similar challenges with overcapacity and is cutting employment.

Olle suggests that Volkswagen and Audi could develop new models with Chinese partners, which would shorten development time and product costs. He believes this is preferable to producing Chinese partners' vehicles in-house. The VW plant in Zwickau is well-suited for this step, as it has already demonstrated its ability to handle new challenges such as e-mobility and circular economy.

Volkswagen is grappling with a decline in car demand and competition from Chinese automakers. The supervisory board recently approved the elimination of an additional 50,000 jobs worldwide, in addition to the already planned reductions of 50,000 jobs in Germany by 2030.