Volkswagen boss wants to avoid factory closures

This is “strong progress,” said Blume. The company must further reduce costs. Blume was positive about the new electric fleet: “We sold over 50,000 cars from our new entry-level family around the ID. Polo in the first four weeks. We are the clear market leader in Europe – for combustion engines and fully electric vehicles.” The VW boss is worried about the world situation: “Our environment has never been as demanding and risky as it is today. Geopolitical tensions, trade barriers, regulations, market upheavals and intense competition.”

Blume had already announced that it would reduce production capacity by one million to nine million vehicles per year by 2030. The number of models is to be reduced by half by 2035 in order to be able to produce more cost-effectively and efficiently. The brands should overlap less – models from VW, Skoda and Seat, for example, compete with each other.

40,000 employees in companies at risk

40,000 people work in the endangered plants in Zwickau, Emden, Neckarsulm and Hanover. According to previous information, VW is considering setting up arms companies there or building its own models developed in China. In addition, 5,000 of the 21,000 management positions worldwide are to be eliminated by 2030. The board left it open how many of the more than 650,000 jobs worldwide could be lost.