VW and Audi stick to expansion of e-car production

Despite sluggish capacity utilization at Volkswagen's Zwickau e-car factory, production of the Audi Q4 e-tron and ID.3 is to be expanded to other locations. "We will also produce the Q4 e-tron in Brussels from the end of 2023 - in addition to production in Zwickau," an Audi spokeswoman told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa. The ID.3 is also scheduled to roll off the production line in Wolfsburg - initially only in small numbers - starting in the fall. The parts for final assembly will initially be supplied from Saxony, with full production in Wolfsburg then planned for next year.

The Zwickau plant has been a pioneer of electric mobility at Volkswagen. In addition to the ID.3, ID.4 and ID.5 models, Audi's Q4 e-tron and Q4 Sportback e-tron as well as the Cupra Born are also produced there. However, there is growing concern about the future of the site, as the plant is far from operating at full capacity. There is therefore talk of successive job cuts, which would affect many temporary employees. In addition, shifts could be reduced.

Originally, all six models of VW, Audi and Cupra, which are built in Zwickau, were produced exclusively there. VW had also initially served the U.S. market from Saxony, bringing the ID.4 to America by ship. This had increased the already long delivery times for the e-cars at the time. VW now builds the vehicles for the U.S. market locally in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where production of the model started in October 2022. Exports from Zwickau were then discontinued. The ID.4 had also started production in Emden back in May 2022.