Zwickau before the future: Does the Cupra Born stay or does it go to Wolfsburg?

Zwickau before the future: Does the Cupra Born stay or does it go to Wolfsburg?

Zwickau, Deutschland - The VW plant in Zwickau faces an uncertain future. Current developments in Wolfsburg attract attention, in particular the statements of group works council boss Daniela Cavallo. These emphasize that Volkswagen currently achieves better results than expected, which could certainly influence the situation in Zwickau. Nevertheless, there are also challenges: In May 2023, 18% more electric cars were approved in Germany than in the previous year, but the majority of customers still prefer gasoline or diesel engines, and only every sixth new car is electrically. The lvz.de reports that the high demand for the Tiguan even leads to special shifts in Wolfsburg.

There is special attention to the Cupra Born, whose whereabouts in Zwickau is still unclear. Rumors say that it could not be shifted to Wolfsburg as originally planned. That would be a blessing for the Zwickau location, since according to a tariff cleaning in December 2022, the production of ID.3 should go to Wolfsburg. In the future, Zwickau will only produce the Audi models Q4 e-tron and Q4 e-tron Sportback. "We have to manufacture at least 120,000 vehicles in Zwickau a year to keep the location economically," explains Zwickaus works council chief Uwe Kunstmann. As early as 2022, 107,697 Audi Q4 E-Tron were produced.

puzzle for the production figures

The uncertainty about the economic profitability of the work in Zwickau is growing, since the arrangement of the relocation of parts of the production is worried. The current utilization in Zwickau in particular leaves something to be desired. In the first quarter of 2023, the Cupra Born only came to around 11,000 units, which questions the ambitious annual goals of 80,000 vehicles. Here the question arises how Volkswagen can increase the production figures, especially since new e-models are to be switched to the SSP platform in Wolfsburg and the production of the Golf expires by the end of 2026.

It is also reported that Hall 54 in Wolfsburg is being prepared for new electric cars, which is part of the strategy to optimize the utilization in Wolfsburg. Nevertheless, it remains exciting: Zwickau was not only the first VW plant that was completely switched to electromobility, it also recently produced the millionth electric car. Over seven million vehicles have been manufactured in the factory since 1990, including important models such as ID.3, ID.4 and the Cupra Born. Around every second electrical vehicle of the group that is approved worldwide comes from Zwickau, which makes the location particularly valuable, such as goingelectric.de.

The next planning round and the requirements

The next crucial planning round for the future of the work in Zwickau is already in November. Experts warn that the work needs new models and have to be converted to the new SSP electroplay to remain competitive. Dirk Vogel, an AMZ expert, emphasizes the urgency of this conversion, which is to take place today from 2028. The work is to continue to be established as a competence center for circular economy.

Overall, it remains to be seen how the situation will develop. The challenges are great, but Zwickau has also achieved a lot and could also play a strong role within the Volkswagen Group in the future.