Volkswagen To End Production At German Plant, a First In Company History (nytimes.com)
- Reference: 0180399403
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/12/16/2135226/volkswagen-to-end-production-at-german-plant-a-first-in-company-history
- Source link: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/16/business/volkswagen-dresden-factory-closed.html
> The last vehicle will roll off the assembly line at Volkswagen's plant in Dresden, Germany, on Tuesday, marking the [1]first time in the automaker's 88-year history that it has closed a plant in its home country . Volkswagen warned of potential production cuts last year, as it faced shaky demand in Europe and China, its biggest market, as well as higher tariffs that have crimped sales in the United States.
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> After 24 years of vehicle production, the Dresden plant will be converted into a research hub focused on technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics and chip design. Volkswagen will team up with the government of the state of Saxony and the Dresden University of Technology on the project at the plant, known as the Transparent Factory because of its glass walls. "We did not take the decision to end vehicle production at the Transparent Factory after more than 20 years lightly," Thomas Schafer, chief executive of the Volkswagen brand, [2]said in a statement . "From an economic perspective, however, it was absolutely necessary."
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/16/business/volkswagen-dresden-factory-closed.html
[2] https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/de/pressemitteilungen/zukunftskonzept-steht-innovationscampus-wird-teil-der-glaesernen-manufaktur-dresden-20022
Germany de-industrialization (Score:5, Insightful)
This and many other highly negative consequences Germany experiencing due to high energy costs.
Re: (Score:3)
The saddest day for me was when Grundig quit making radios in Germany, those Grudig portables and Zenith TransOceanic are cool radios, both gone now, you can find used ones on eBay but I would not trust old electronics
Re: Germany de-industrialization (Score:5, Insightful)
Can't trust the old stuff not to fail, can't trust the new stuff not to fail or spy on you, but I can trust my ability to replace capacitors
Re: (Score:2)
Sheesh, if this keeps up, who's going to pay for the New Germans?? Please think of the immigrants before gutting your tax base.
Re: (Score:2)
> "This and many other highly negative consequences Germany experiencing due to high energy costs."
And the flood of Chinese vehicles being allowed into Europe and elsewhere (still not the USA, though).
EVs have car complexity reduced ... (Score:1)
... by 10x at least. Cushy jobs at the VW ICE production line in Wolfsburg are going the way of the Dodo, especially with VW pushing hard for EVs, by German standards.
China (Score:2, Informative)
is the new Germany