VW gears up for first production closure in Germany in its 88-year history
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Volkswagen AGAdd to myFTGet instant alerts for this topicManage your delivery channels hereRemove from myFTVW gears up for first production closure in Germany in its 88-year historyEnding manufacturing at Dresden site comes as Europe’s largest auto producer battles weak demand in its key marketsThe Dresden site became a symbol of Volkswagen’s electrification efforts, most recently producing the battery-powered ID.3 © EPAVW gears up for first production closure in Germany in its 88-year history on x (opens in a new window)VW gears up for first production closure in Germany in its 88-year history on facebook (opens in a new window)VW gears up for first production closure in Germany in its 88-year history on linkedin (opens in a new window)VW gears up for first production closure in Germany in its 88-year history on whatsapp (opens in a new window) Save VW gears up for first production closure in Germany in its 88-year history on x (opens in a new window)VW gears up for first production closure in Germany in its 88-year history on facebook (opens in a new window)VW gears up for first production closure in Germany in its 88-year history on linkedin (opens in a new window)VW gears up for first production closure in Germany in its 88-year history on whatsapp (opens in a new window) Save Sebastien Ash in FrankfurtPublishedDecember 14 2025Jump to comments sectionPrint this pageUnlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Volkswagen will stop manufacturing vehicles at its site in Dresden after Tuesday, marking the first time in the carmaker’s 88-year history that it will close production in Germany.The closure of the plant’s production line comes as Europe’s largest auto manufacturer is under cash flow pressure as a result of weak China sales and demand in Europe as well as US tariffs weighing on sales in America.Volkswagen has been wrestling with the allocation its investment budget of approximately €160bn over the coming five years, with a longer lifespan expected for petrol-engine cars. The rolling budget which is updated annually, has been slashed over the recent years. For the period from 2023 to 2027 the equivalent figure was €180bn. The automaker’s CFO Arno Antlitz suggested in October that its net cash flow for 2025, which had previously been forecast to be close to zero, could be slightly positive. However, analysts said the carmaker would continue to see further pressure.“There’s certainly pressure on the cash flow in 2026,” said Bernstein analyst Stephen Reitman. He noted that the auto group was looking for ways to reduce spending and boost operating profits. Volkswagen was facing “widespread” challenges, with the expected longer lifetime for fossil fuel-burning engines requiring new investment, Reitman said. “You have to look at new generations of gasoline technologies,” he added. Moritz Kronenberger, Union Investment portfolio manager, said some projects would need to be axed from Volkswagen’s spending plans. For Volkswagen to meet its investment target, “other ideas and projects must be removed from the plan,” he said.Dresden has produced fewer than 200,000 vehicles since production started in 2002, or less than half the annual output of VW’s central factory in Wolfsburg.The move brings Volkswagen a small step forward in its plans to reduce capacity in Germany. The changes are part of a deal agreed with unions last year that will also lead to 35,000 job cuts at the VW brand in Germany. VW brand chief Thomas Schäfer said this month the decision to close production had not been taken “lightly”, but that “from an economic perspective it was essential”.The plant was intended as a showcase for Volkswagen’s engineering prowess and was first tasked with the assembly of the high-end VW Phaeton. After the Phaeton was discontinued in 2016, the Dresden site became a symbol of Volkswagen’s electrification efforts, most recently producing the battery-powered ID.3.The site will be rented out to the Technical University of Dresden to establish a research campus for the development of artificial intelligence, robotics and chipsVolkswagen together with the university, have pledged to invest €50mn over the next seven years into the project, while the auto giant has said it will continue to use the facility to deliver cars to customers and as a tourist attraction. Reuse this content (opens in new window) CommentsJump to comments sectionPromoted Content Follow the topics in this article European companies Add to myFT Industrial goods Add to myFT Automobiles Add to myFT Volkswagen AG Add to myFT Sebastien Ash Add to myFT Comments