Where Volkswagen is life – and German industry coughs

Die Mood at the German flagship company? It is as gray as this winter day.

A lifetime VW

If one understands the frustration, then it is Ernst-Dieter Lilje. The 77-year-old, tall white-haired man wears a bright blue sweater with VW logo on it. He worked for VW for 46 years, as a car mechanic, technical developer, in production and tariff system: “I came from the GDR as a refugee and was lucky that VW also took those who could not pay school fees.” Today, Liljes sons -sons -in -law and daughter appear in his footsteps at VW.

Ernst-Dieter Lilje can still remember the golden times. 1964 He started working on VW, “in a 42-hour week, a three-shift operation. At that time we couldn’t produce as many cars as we could sell”.

Today leave between 2,300 and 2,500 cars The work, but only as many as ordered. It is no longer produced in stock. If the load is complete, it would be 4,000 cars a day.

The Residential buildingin which the pensioner lives, VW belongs, like all houses here in the district. Wolfsburg once was specially for the automobile manufacturer of the National Socialists Founded, first had the work, then the town hall and the train station. The factory has 62,000 employees, 130,000 people live in Wolfsburg. From his balcony, Lilje sees the smoking chimneys.

The German problem with the electric car

What the stimulus topic E-mobility concerns, Ernst-Dieter Lilje also sees a turning point for the automotive industry: politics and business have overslept the political back and forth Outlet Created uncertainty. There is also the high price: “We deserved well at VW, but I would never buy a car for 60,000 euros,” says Lilje. In the previous year, the proportion of newly approved electric cars in Germany (13.51 percent) was below the EU average, and even behind Austria (17.58 percent). The traffic light government has in late 2023 In response to the budget passes Funding stopped.

If he does not tell or leads through the car museum, he repairs old cars – “today’s employees can no longer do that,” he says slightly cynically.

A few steps in the automotive industry are now over 90 percent automated. During the factory, you can see how car doors are whirled by orange gripping arms through the air. The automation makes above all Low -qualified staff superfluous in the long term. Comparatively High wage costs In Germany, at VW due to the good salaries, even higher than usual, make it more attractive to fabricate elsewhere. Full -time workers earn gross on average in Wolfsburg 1,000 euros more As the average German.

VW has long since had works all over the world. And because the Seetransport It is cheaper than transporting on the country path, and cars produced in Mexico also land on the German market. “With the beetle we still had a house of 60 percent, today it is less than 40 percent,” says Lilje.

The entire industry coughs

It stands to protect the automotive industry, not just for it badly: that’s how it is entire industrial output Germany has dropped since 2018, so long before Corona and the energy crisis. The pressure began with the first term Donald Trumps, The one then Tariff introduced to aluminum and steel. A hard blow for the export nation Germany. Trump’s current customs threats are not confident.

Ernst-Dieter Lilje sighs. “Husts VW, the whole region has flu.” Wolfsburg special: The city has not only received in the past decades thanks to the automobile manufacturer Tax millions, but also enormous direct investments: swimming pools, theater, football stadium, everything sponsored by VW. The Auto city from VW, a kind of experience area with Museum, racing simulators, terrain course and luxury hotel, attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists to the city every year.

“We will also feel incisions,” says Ernst-Dieter Lilje. The plural not only stands for lifelong solidarity with VW employees, but for all Wolfsburgers. Nevertheless, Lilje firmly believes in German engineering knowledge. And to that First VW electric car under 20,000 euros, that should come onto the market in 2027. It is produced in Spain – at least the body is said to be a Wolfsburg niche.