Volkswagen Factory Closures in Germany: Details on Potential Shutdowns
Overview of Volkswagen's Potential Factory Shutdowns
June 26 (Reuters) - Carmaker Volkswagen is considering shutting down four factories in Germany, two people familiar with the matter said on Friday, as it faces mounting pressure from Chinese rivals.
The closures at Hanover, Zwickau, Emden and Audi's Neckarsulm site would put more than 45,000 jobs at risk, on top of the 50,000 cuts agreed with unions in late 2024, according to the people.
Here are details on the sites Volkswagen is considering shutting down.
Factory Profiles and Impact
Emden
History and Location
Emden is the first Volkswagen site in Lower Saxony, a region of 8 million people that is also Volkswagen's second-largest shareholder. Founded in 1964 to take advantage of its nearby seaport, the plant initially specialised in producing the Volkswagen Beetle.
Current Production
Since the end of 2024, Emden has produced exclusively electric vehicles, manufacturing models of the Volkswagen ID. series.
Workforce and Output
More than 7,700 employees work at the factory, which produced around 147,000 vehicles in 2025, compared with a population of around 50,000 in the city of Emden.
Hanover
Workforce and Historical Significance
The factory employs around 14,000 people in Lower Saxony. It is where production of the Volkswagen 'Bulli' began in 1956 and now produces the sixth and seventh-generation T-Series of the camper van, comprising vans and minivans, as well as the ID. Buzz electric van.
Additional Production Activities
Apart from vehicles, the 1.1 million square metres are also used to make heat exchangers, while the foundry produces cylinder heads and inlet manifolds for the group.
Neckarsulm
Employment and Production
The Audi site in Neckarsulm employed 15,509 people as of March 2026. It produces combustion engines, hybrid technologies and fully electric vehicles with variants of the A5, A6, A8 and e-tron GT models.
Significance to Audi
Audi considers it the birthplace of the fully electric Audi e-tron GT and has headquarters for Audi Sport GmbH there.
Zwickau
History and Transition to Electric Vehicles
Founded in 1990, the Zwickau plant has produced seven million vehicles. In June 2020, the last internal combustion engine vehicle rolled off the production line as it shifted focus to electric vehicles.
Current Models and Output
The 8,000 employees produce models such as the Volkswagen ID., the Audi Q4 e-tron and the Seat Cupra Born. The bodies for the Bentley Bentayga and the Lamborghini Urus are also manufactured there.
In 2025, 212,000 vehicles and the bodies of 10,800 cars came out of the plant.
Investment in Electric Mobility
It is the first factory in the group completely converted to electric mobility, at a cost of 1.2 billion euros ($1.37 billion).
Additional Information
($1 = 0.8765 euros)
(Reporting by Mathias de Rozario in Gdansk)
