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☆ Volkswagen plans to close ‘at least’ 3 German plants and lay off thousands of workers
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-28 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Volkswagen plans to close “at least” three factories in Germany, lay off tens of thousands of staff and downsize remaining plants in the country, the company’s employee group said Monday. The plans are already facing pushback from labor unions in the country, where Volkswagen employs 295,000 people, setting the stage for possible strikes in the coming weeks. Volkswagen has been locked in negotiations with unions for weeks over its plans to cut costs and restructure business operations. A Volkswagen employee holds a placard reading "Hands off the collective agreement" during a VW works council event in Zwickau, eastern Germany on October 28, 2024. It has previously said that it would seek to terminate an employment protection agreement with labor unions, which has been in place since 1994, to “future proof” the business.

Persons: ” Thorsten Groeger, Metall, IG Metall, Volkswagen’s, Daniela Cavallo, ” Cavallo, Jens Schlueter, Gunnar Kilian, ” Thomas Schaefer, ”, Volkswagen Organizations: London CNN, Volkswagen, VW, IG, CNN, ”, Getty, Labor Locations: Germany, Zwickau, AFP, China, Europe

☆ Volkswagen to reduce headcount at 'no longer competitive' VW brand
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Volkswagen logo is seen during the New York International Auto Show, in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., April 5, 2023. "With many of our pre-existing structures, processes and high costs, we are no longer competitive as the Volkswagen brand," Schaefer told a staff meeting at the carmaker's headquarters in Wolfsburg, according to a post on the company's intranet site and seen by Reuters. The company had previously said it planned to take advantage of the "demographic curve" to reduce its workforce, having pledged that it would not carry out dismissals until 2029. In Monday's meeting, human resources board member Gunnar Kilian said this would be achieved through agreements on partial or early retirement. ($1 = 0.9168 euros)Reporting by Victoria Waldersee Writing by Matthias Williams Editing by Miranda Murray and David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Thomas Schaefer, Schaefer, Gunnar Kilian, Kilian, Victoria Waldersee, Matthias Williams, Miranda Murray, David Goodman Organizations: New York, REUTERS, BERLIN, VW, Volkswagen, Reuters, Victoria, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Wolfsburg

☆ VW struggling with S.Africa costs as group targets savings - executive
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Joe Bavier | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Thomas Schaefer, Volkswagen's CEO of the VW Passenger Cars Brand speaks with Reuters about the future of VW production in Africa, in Johannesburg, South Africa, November 24, 2023. The German automaker has been in South Africa for nearly 80 years. Factors like competitive labour costs once placed it among the company's higher-ranking bases globally, VW brand chief Thomas Schaefer said during a visit to the country. Schaefer said there were no current plans to introduce EV manufacturing in South Africa, since electric cars are currently priced out of the reach of most domestic consumers. "There's a realistic chance that South Africa, with enough focus, with all the raw materials in the neighbourhood, they could be a champion," Schaefer said.

Persons: Thomas Schaefer, Volkswagen's, Sumaya Hisham, Schaefer, We're, " Schaefer, Victoria Waldersee, Mark Potter Organizations: VW, Reuters, REUTERS, Volkswagen, Polo, European Union, Thomson Locations: Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa, JOHANNESBURG, Uitenhage, Britain, Berlin

☆ Volkswagen to cut administrative personnel costs 20% in savings drive -Handelsblatt
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBERLIN, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) plans to cut administrative personnel costs by a fifth as part of a cost-cutting package to save 10 billion euros ($10.8 billion) by 2026, the Handelsblatt daily reported on Monday, citing an internal company podcast. Gunnar Kilian, Volkswagen's board member for human resources, said in conversation with VW brand chief Thomas Schaefer that the cuts would focus on cost reduction rather than headcount, according to the Handelsblatt report. The specific details of the drive at Volkswagen's passenger car brand, announced in June and currently being defined in talks between management and the workers council, are due to be set by December. Volkswagen has signed an agreement with the workers council to secure jobs until 2029, and the council has repeatedly said it will not allow changes to that agreement. Reporting by Victoria Waldersee, Christina Amann; Writing by Victoria Waldersee, Miranda Murray; Editing by Stephen Coates and Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Fabian Bimmer, Gunnar Kilian, Volkswagen's, Thomas Schaefer, Victoria Waldersee, Christina Amann, Miranda Murray, Stephen Coates, Bernadette Baum Organizations: VW, REUTERS, Rights, Volkswagen, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Wolfsburg, Germany

Volkswagen has said that cost-cutting plans would include focusing on fewer high-volume models as well as streamlining production of VW passenger cars, SEAT/CUPRA and Skoda. The Volkswagen brand has the company's highest sales volume by far, but margins traditionally lag behind luxury Audi and Porsche vehicles. A Volkswagen brand spokesperson confirmed that talks began with workers in early October and that it would not comment further on the timeline or content of discussions. Labour representatives, including the head of Volkswagen works council Daniela Cavallo, make up half of the company's supervisory board per German corporate governance law for large firms. A works council spokesperson confirmed a first meeting had taken place but declined to comment further on the timeline.

Persons: Matthias Rietschel, carmaker, Arno Antlitz, Brand, Thomas Schaefer, Daniela Cavallo, Cavallo, Victoria Waldersee, Christoph Steitz, Rod Nickel Organizations: Volkswagen Group, REUTERS, BERLIN, Volkswagen, VW, SEAT, Skoda, Porsche, Labour, Thomson Locations: Zwickau, Germany

☆ Volkswagen passenger cars targets 10 billion euros of efficiency gains
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, June 14 (Reuters) - Volkswagen's (VOWG_p.DE) passenger car brand will implement savings and cost-cutting measures amounting to 10 billion euros ($10.83 billion) by 2026 to hit a return on sales target of 6.5%, a spokesperson said on Wednesday. "The Volkswagen Group is focusing even more strongly on profitability and cash flow," Antlitz said in his post. Antlitz's statement came after Volkswagen brand chief Thomas Schaefer told workers in an internal memo in mid-May it was planning an overhaul at its core brand to put it on more solid footing. Volkswagen is due to present new financial targets and an updated corporate strategy for the entire group at a capital markets day next Wednesday. The carmaker's supervisory board was due to discuss on Tuesday cost-cutting measures across the Volkswagen, Seat, Skoda and Cupra brands to achieve that goal, a source told Reuters.

Persons: Arno Antlitz, Antlitz, Thomas Schaefer, Schaefer, Victoria Waldersee, Jan Schwartz, Miranda Murray, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Skoda, SEAT, Volkswagen, Reuters, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, Spain

☆ Volkswagen supervisory board to discuss savings programme on Tuesday
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, June 12 (Reuters) - Volkswagen's (VOWG_p.DE) supervisory board will meet on Tuesday to discuss a planned savings programme ahead of its capital markets day on June 21, two sources close to the company said on Monday. The board will discuss cost-cutting measures amounting to at least 3 billion euros ($3.22 billion) across the Volkswagen, Seat, Skoda and Cupra brands, said one source. Germany daily Handelsblatt, which first reported on the savings programme, reported that Chief Executive Oliver Blume wants to curb duplicate development work and better utilise German plants, particularly at Audi and Volkswagen. Volkswagen brand chief Thomas Schaefer said in an internal memo in May that the brand was targeting a 6.5% return on sales, compared to 3% achieved in the first quarter of this year. The Volkswagen brand must act," he wrote at the time.

Persons: Oliver Blume, Arno Antlitz, Thomas Schaefer, Jan Schwartz, Miranda Murray, Victoria Waldersee, Susan Fenton Organizations: Volkswagen, Skoda, Audi, Group, Reuters, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, Germany

☆ Volkswagen plans core brand revamp to boost returns -internal memo
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Volkswagen AG FollowBERLIN, May 17 (Reuters) - German carmaker Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) plans to overhaul its core brand to increase efficiency and returns, according to an internal memo from VW brand chief Thomas Schaefer seen by Reuters on Wednesday. "We can see that our brand – despite all its strengths – is not yet on a sufficiently solid economic footing," Schaefer wrote in the memo. The Volkswagen brand must act," he wrote. Handelsblatt business daily first reported the plans, saying they involved cost savings and were designed to increase annual results by at least 3 billion euros. In the memo seen by Reuters, Schaefer wrote that details of the revamp would be worked out in coming weeks and months.

☆ Volkswagen not planning new combustion engine Golf, Automobilwoche reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Volkswagen AG FollowBERLIN, April 2 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) does not plan to develop a new combustion engine generation of its legendary Golf car, brand chief Thomas Schaefer told autos publication Automobilwoche on Sunday, marking the end of the line for a vehicle on sale since 1974. The Golf 8, currently in production, will be the last combustion engine version of the hatchback car, with one more series of updates expected next year. The Volkswagen brand, part of the Volkswagen Group, is targeting 80% electric sales in Europe and 55% in North America by 2030. The group is targeting 50% electric sales globally by then. It is due to launch 10 new electric models by 2026, including a battery-electric car for under 25,000 euros($27,000).

☆ Volkswagen lays out details of planned affordable electric car
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] German carmaker Volkswagen presents its new electric ID. 2all model, an electric vehicle that costs less than 25,000 euros, in Hamburg, Germany, March 15, 2023. REUTERS/Fabian BimmerBERLIN, March 15 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) laid out on Wednesday the details of a planned all-electric car costing under 25,000 euros ($26,790), part of the German carmaker's push to derive 80% of VW passenger brand sales in Europe from all-electric vehicles by 2030. "We are implementing the transformation at pace to bring electric mobility to the masses," VW brand chief Thomas Schaefer said in a statement. The car maker is also working on another electric car available for under 20,000 euros, it said, without providing further details.

☆ EU lawmakers approve effective 2035 ban on new fossil fuel cars
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The landmark rules will require that by 2035 carmakers must achieve a 100% cut in CO2 emissions from new cars sold, which would make it impossible to sell new fossil fuel-powered vehicles in the 27-country bloc. The law will also set a 55% cut in CO2 emissions for new cars sold from 2030 versus 2021 levels, much higher than the existing target of a 37.5%. New vans must comply with a 100% CO2 cut by 2035, and a 50% cut by 2030, compared with 2021 levels. Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) chief executive Thomas Schaefer said last year that from 2033 the brand will only produce electric cars in Europe. The car CO2 law is part a broader package of tougher EU climate policies, designed to deliver the bloc's targets to slash greenhouse gas emissions this decade.

☆ Volkswagen to invest $482 million in electrifying Wolfsburg plant
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) will invest 460 million euros ($482 million) by early 2025 in its Wolfsburg plant, with most of the funds going into preparation for the production of the electric ID.3 model, brand chief Thomas Schaefer said on Wednesday. The MEB+ platform will provide faster charging times and longer ranges, according to the statement. The new model will add to our bestseller ID.4 and ID.4 models and expand our market position," he said. The timeline for production of the ID.3 is on track, with partial production to take place in Wolfsburg from 2023 and full production expected in 2024. ($1 = 0.9535 euros)Reporting by Victoria Waldersee; Editing by Christoph Steitz and Miranda MurrayOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

But a new U.S. law offering hefty subsidies to local manufacturers of green technology has given the company pause for thought. That is roughly four times what the German government is offering, he said, with cheaper energy prices in the United States on top. The act introduces tax credits related to investment in green technology, plus tax breaks for consumers buying an electric vehicle or other green product made in North America. German carmakers and suppliers, for which the United States is a main export market, are among its biggest victims. "If we don't do anything, a lot will emerge in the United States," said Siemens Energy (ENR1n.DE) Chief Executive Christian Bruch.

☆ EU approves effective ban on new fossil fuel cars from 2035
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"This deal is good news for car drivers... new zero-emission cars will become cheaper, making them more affordable and more accessible to everyone," Parliament's lead negotiator Jan Huitema said. EU climate policy chief Frans Timmermans said the agreement sent a strong signal to industry and consumers. New vans must comply with a 100% CO2 cut by 2035, and a 50% cut by 2030 compared with 2021 levels. Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) boss Thomas Schaefer this week said that from 2033, the brand will only produce electric cars in Europe. Negotiators agreed on Thursday that the EU will draft a proposal on how cars that run on "CO2 neutral fuels" could be sold after 2035.

☆ Volkswagen brand will be electric-only carmaker in Europe from 2033 - brand chief
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Victoria Waldersee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FILE PHOTO: A technician attaches a Volkswagen logo to a car, at the production line for electric car models of the Volkswagen Group, in Zwickau, Germany, April 26, 2022. REUTERS/Matthias RietschelBERLIN (Reuters) - The Volkswagen brand will only produce electric cars in Europe from 2033, its boss Thomas Schaefer said on Wednesday, committing to the earlier date in its previous 2033-2035 target. The carmaker is targeting an entry-level electric vehicle for 25,000 euros or less. Schaefer said improving and standardising battery chemistry and format was the key to achieving this goal, as well as producing at scale. “The only company that can scale on this territory at the moment is us,” the chief executive said.

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