Volkswagen is scaling again manufacturing of its electrical automobiles in Europe with demand not rising as quick hoped.
Representatives for the Volkswagen’s factories in Germany have confirmed upcoming manufacturing pauses to Automotive Information and Bloomberg.
Manufacturing at Zwickau will probably be paused for every week beginning October 6, reportedly due to low demand for the Audi This fall e-tron within the US attributable to tariffs. Zwickau additionally produces the Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5 SUVs, and the carefully associated ID.3 and Cupra Born hatchbacks.
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The strains can even cease on the Dresden ‘Clear Manufacturing facility’ throughout the first week of the October autumn holidays, with a spokesperson saying the break is as a result of “the corporate is adjusting its manufacturing schedule to the present market scenario”.
Initially constructed as the corporate’s showcase manufacturing facility to provide the Phaeton, Volkswagen’s ill-fated try to push itself into S-Class territory, the Clear Manufacturing facility now produces the Volkswagen ID.3.
The Emden manufacturing facility, which produces the ID.4 SUV, and ID.7 sedan and wagon, has reduce employee hours, and is planning to close down for a number of days.
Volkswagen Business’s manufacturing facility in Hanover can even halt manufacturing throughout the October autumn holidays, affecting the ‘T7’ Multivan and ID. Buzz.
Figures from Dataforce, as printed by Automotive Information final week, present the Volkswagen (16,105) was the primary model within the EV sector throughout Europe in August, with gross sales up 45 per cent over the identical time final yr.
It edged out second-placed Tesla (14,345), which was down 23 per cent, and BMW (12,546) in third, up 7 per cent.
The rest of the highest ten contains Skoda (11,223), Audi (9564), Hyundai (8229), Mercedes-Benz (8207), Renault (7501), Ford (6619), and BYD (6465). All these manufacturers, besides Mercedes-Benz, recorded enormous will increase of between 54 and 123 per cent over the identical time final yr.
Whereas Volkswagen was primary total, the Tesla Mannequin Y (84,314) stays the best-selling EV mannequin all through Europe this yr. Though it’s down an alarming 34.0 per cent, it’s nonetheless properly forward of the Volkswagen ID.4 (51,380), up 33.6 per cent.
The Tesla Mannequin 3 (50,237) rounds out the 2025 podium regardless of a 29.0 per cent drop.
The remainder of the highest ten consists of the Volkswagen ID.3 (49,275), Skoda Elroq (48,776), Volkswagen ID.7 (47,501), Kia EV3 (45,119), Renault 5 E-Tech (43,738), BMW iX1 (43,128), and Skoda Enyaq (41,970), all of which have been up not less than 26.6 per cent over this time final yr.
Dataforce’s figures present the general EV market in Europe rising 26 per cent in August from the identical interval in 2024.
Regardless of the optimistic gross sales knowledge, Volkswagen’s devoted EV factories are operating properly under capability as demand for electrical vehicles has not accelerated on the tempo most producers have been hoping and planning for.
This has pressured many producers to cut back EV manufacturing plans, and approve the event of latest generations of petrol and plug-in hybrid fashions.
Latest about-faces embrace Porsche’s resolution so as to add petrol engines to the brand new Boxster, Bentley approving new a non-electric era of the Flying Spur and Continental, and Volvo giving the greenlight a third-generation XC90.