Volkswagen’s supervisory board on Wednesday signed off on “Future Plan 2030,” which the group calls the most strategically far-reaching overhaul in its history. Around 50,000 additional jobs are set to go, the model line-up will be roughly halved by 2035, and four German plants are left without a secured future.
What the board approved
The roughly 50,000 new cuts reportedly reach into management and come on top of reductions already planned at VW, Audi, Porsche and software arm Cariad – together pushing the total toward 100,000. Group complexity is to fall by about 75 percent, with an annual sales target of nine million vehicles. “Over the coming years we will invest a three-figure billion sum,” chief executive Oliver Blume said, to make the brands “more attractive, stronger and more competitive.”
The four plants at risk
For four sites, VW says it currently cannot secure “competitive future production” once existing model allocations run out between 2031 and 2034:
- Emden – builds the ID.4 and ID.7
- Zwickau – once VW’s first all-electric plant
- Hanover – home of the ID.Buzz
- Neckarsulm – an Audi site, including the e-tron GT
The company aims to present a viable European production strategy for the sites by the end of June 2027. VW avoids the word “closure” – but without fresh allocations, the plants’ outlook is open.
Why the deep cuts
The group blames Chinese competition, high energy costs and the costly switch to electric mobility amid softening demand. About half of today’s model range is due to disappear by 2035; reports suggest EVs such as the ID.3, ID.5 and ID.Buzz, plus several Audis, could be among them. Final cut lists have not yet been confirmed.
Sources: Carscoops · CNN Business · UPI · Electrek
