Future of the Cupra Born uncertain: production in Zwickau or Wolfsburg?

Future of the Cupra Born uncertain: production in Zwickau or Wolfsburg?

There is a lot going on in the world of electric cars at the moment - and that also affects the future Cupra Born. Rumors are circulating that changes are coming to the production facility of the popular model. The current plan envisages that the Cupra Born and other electric car models will be manufactured in the Wolfsburg and Emden plants from 2027. Nevertheless, there are considerations about continuing to leave production in Saxony, so speculation about the future of the factory in Zwickau continues.

Volkswagen has made it clear that management is currently consulting. The Management of the company is currently discussing whether the Cupra Born will continue to be produced in Zwickau. The background to these considerations is the threat of underutilization of the Saxon factory if production of the ID.3 and Cupra Born electric models were actually relocated to Wolfsburg. Without these two models, only the Audi Q4 e-tron would remain, which is not sufficient for economical utilization.

Production capacities and economic considerations

The production figures show that the Cupra Born is not a volume model: the planned annual production of 80,000 units is well above the previous sales volume. Only around 11,000 vehicles were sold in the first quarter of 2025 - a sign that there is still a lot of room for improvement to utilize capacity. VW also has the problem that Golf production will be stopped in Wolfsburg by the end of 2026 and the new SSP platform will be introduced. Hall 54 in Wolfsburg will therefore be converted to this new platform.

VW spokesman and works council chairwoman Daniela Cavallo said that the future relocation of the Cupra Born would depend on Tiguan sales volume. One thing is very clear: Production could only be relocated to Wolfsburg if capacities allow it. Discussions are still ongoing - but when a final decision will be made is still unclear. The next round of planning in winter could perhaps bring more clarity here, but until then much remains uncertain.

Future of the Zwickau plant

In Zwickau, however, the situation is also being discussed. Volkswagen has only been producing electric cars in its halls since 2020, and the site celebrated its one millionth fully electric car last year. Nevertheless, the future utilization of the multi-brand location is in question, as it cannot be ruled out that the plant could be geared towards building capacity for the recycling of electric cars. Depending on how the situation develops, this could even have an impact on the around 8,000 jobs in Zwickau.

Volkswagen is pursuing an electric offensive that has already gained momentum in 2021 and has classified the global expansion of electric vehicle production as crucial. Delivery of the ID.4, Volkswagen's first fully electric SUV, is imminent and production numbers will continue to increase. But while the ambitious plans for the ID family models exist, the question of the future of Zwickau and the jobs there remains unspoken.

Overall, it is clear that the future of the Cupra Born and the plants in Zwickau and Wolfsburg are strongly linked. The coming months could be crucial for Volkswagen's e-car strategy - we remain excited about the developments.