Overview
- Volkswagen Sachsen is preparing plans and funding applications to launch dismantling and reconditioning operations in Zwickau as a move into circular‑economy work.
- The plant is running a two‑shift schedule with a production decline expected through 2027 and some models projected to shift to other locations, according to expert Werner Olle and dpa reporting.
- Headcount in Zwickau has fallen from about 9,200 to roughly 8,500 this year, while output is expected to reach around 212,000 vehicles, about 4% above last year, plant chief Danny Auerswald said.
- Olle says testing and dismantling of end‑of‑life vehicles would initially require fewer staff than new‑car assembly, yet he argues Zwickau could serve as a European hub for EV diagnostics.
- Other manufacturers already run similar programs, with Renault, Stellantis and Toyota’s Burnaston site cited as examples handling roughly 10,000 vehicles a year, and Volkswagen awaits supervisory board decisions on model allocations as a newly announced national EV purchase incentive offers potential support.