The state of affairs on the Volkswagen Group’s largest electrical automobile manufacturing unit in Zwickau, Germany seems to be worsening.
After quite a few reviews of demand points earlier this 12 months, Volkswagen cancelled the third shift on manufacturing line #1, which is accountable for the Volkswagen ID.3 and Cupra Born fashions. The transfer was already anticipated no less than since September (in October, there was a two-week halt of manufacturing) as a result of there are usually not sufficient clients for the MEB-based hatchbacks in Europe. Beforehand, Volkswagen introduced the top of Volkswagen ID.3 manufacturing on the Clear Manufacturing unit in Dresden, Germany (a comparatively low quantity, secondary manufacturing website).
This comes on prime of the issues at manufacturing line quantity two, which is accountable for MEB-based crossover/SUVs (Volkswagen ID.4, Volkswagen ID.5, Audi This fall e-tron, and Audi This fall Sportback e-tron). The manufacturing of those fashions in Zwickau is at an entire standstill due to an inadequate provide of the all-new APP550 electrical motors from the Kassel plant (210 kW motors, which changed the older 150 kW ones). It’s anticipated to stay that method till the start of December. The one excellent news is that the crossover/SUVs are produced at different factories (just like the ID.4 in Emden, Germany).
In different phrases, Volkswagen Group’s largest all-electric automobile manufacturing unit, assigned to 6 fashions and with a capability of greater than 330,000 items yearly, is now producing simply two at a lowered quantity.
In response to Handelsblatt (through Electrive) the lower of the third shift is affecting jobs on the website. If the state of affairs doesn’t enhance, then in 2024, each manufacturing strains would possibly run on two shifts as an alternative of the initially deliberate three shifts.
The manufacturing unit in Zwickau produced some 218,000 electrical vehicles in 2022, and this 12 months will produce solely barely extra – doubtlessly 230,000, the article says.
The general financial state of affairs in Europe, in contrast with high-volume native manufacturing of the Tesla Mannequin Y in Europe, in addition to the rising import of electrical vehicles from China, places excessive strain on established native producers.