The ID.4 is one of several Volkswagen electric vehicles that will be impacted by the planned shutdowns at two German EV plants. VW is also planning to halt production of the ID.4 in the US.
Volkswagen plans shutdowns at ID.4, Audi EV plants
Europe’s largest automaker will temporarily halt production at two German plants where it builds some of its most popular electric cars.
Volkswagen will shut down its Zwickau plant, where it builds the Audi Q4 e-tron (including the Sportback), for a week, starting on October 8. A company spokesperson confirmed the news with Bloomberg, saying the luxury electric SUV took a hit from the new US tariffs and Germany’s push to slow the EU’s shift to EVs.
The Emden plant, where Volkswagen builds the ID.4 and ID.7, has already slashed worker hours and is expected to temporarily shut down for at least a few days, according to sources close to the matter.
Although Volkswagen has had strong EV sales in Europe, even overtaking Tesla as the largest electric car brand in the region in the first half of the year, it’s struggling with overproduction. Like several automakers, VW is also bracing for slower sales as the market shifts.
The Zwickau and Emden plants exclusively produce EVs and were part of Volkswagen’s major restructuring deal last year.
To avoid shutting down the facilities, VW agreed to reduce its workforce by 35,000 across Germany by 2030. Jobs in Emden and Zwickau were protected under the agreement.
Volkswagen builds other electric vehicles, including the ID.3 and Cupra Born, but these models are set to move to its Wolfsburg plant over the next few years. The Zwickau plant will continue building the Audi Q4 e-tron following the shutdown.
The planned shutdowns in Germany follow Volkswagen’s announcement to halt ID.4 production in the US earlier this month.
VW will pause ID.4 production at its Chattanooga, Tennessee, plant, starting in late October. The company said it was “a market-driven decision.”
Volkswagen has been offering some of the most significant discounts on electric vehicles in the US. The VW ID.4 has been the most affordable EV to lease, starting at just $129 per month. However, with the $7,500 federal EV tax credit expiring at the end of the month, VW, like many others, is expecting slower sales in the coming months.
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