Overview
- Volkswagen will remove another one million units of annual capacity, setting a nine‑million‑vehicle ceiling, Chief Executive Oliver Blume said.
- The new reduction will fall in Europe with Audi sharing the cuts, after a similar one‑million trim in China, while North America is not targeted.
- The group is shifting from chasing volume to profit, aiming for an 8%–10% operating margin by 2030 and a 20% reduction in total costs.
- Plant plans are changing, with Osnabrück set to stop building vehicles at the end of 2026, and local reports suggest a possible defense repurpose that has not been confirmed.
- Blume cited U.S. tariffs, tougher China competition, a weaker European market, and the Middle East war as pressures, and one report says up to 50,000 German jobs could be affected by 2030.