Stephan Weil: Volkswagen's Osnabrück Plant Needs a Bright Future
Workforce scale at Volkswagen's facility in Osnabrück draws concern - The expansiveness of Volkswagen's manufacturing facility in Osnabrück poses an issue.
It's a must for Volkswagen to keep working on a promising future for its Osnabrück site, according to Lower Saxony's Minister President, Stephan Weil. "The Osnabrück site is a bit on the petite side compared to Volkswagen's usual digs. That's a tricky situation, but it doesn't absolve Volkswagen of its duty to think ahead responsibly about this site," said the SPD politician, who's been on the VW supervisory board since 2013.
"The collective bargaining agreement came up with a nifty solution—we'll carefully scrutinize whether there are internal ways to secure the Osnabrück site's future, or whether external uses of the plant and the skills of the workforce are an option," explained Weil. "Both scenarios are happening, and that's all part and parcel of the deal." The state government has placed a strong emphasis on this provision.
Volkswagen dismissed rumors at the end of April about an already-decided end to vehicle production in Osnabrück. "We're still exploring various possibilities. This always involves considering and assessing economic feasibility," a company spokesperson said at the time.
Osnabrück, Stephan Weil, Volkswagen, Auto, Lower Saxony, Future, VW
In the broader picture, Volkswagen is facing challenges related to the smaller size of the Osnabrück plant and the need for comprehensive, responsible future planning. As part of the “Future Volkswagen” initiative, their overall German production network is being restructured, aiming to slash labor costs by €1.5 billion through shedding over 35,000 jobs by 2030 and cutting production capacity by more than 700,000 units annually across German plants[2].
To address the specific challenges at Osnabrück, there are ongoing discussions and initiatives involving collaboration with the Chinese automaker Chery. Chery is considering producing vehicles at Volkswagen’s German plants, including Osnabrück, potentially taking over or sharing manufacturing capacity to produce electric vehicles for its brands like Lepas, Omoda, and Jaecoo[2][3][4]. Chery's plans include reaching at least 50% non-China content to comply with European regulations and avoid tariffs, ultimately aiming for full-scale production of up to 200,000 cars yearly by the end of 2025 at these plants[3].
This cooperation with Chery is one part of Volkswagen's broader effort to make their German sites more competitive and eco-friendly. For instance, at the Zwickau plant, they've gone all-electric and are investigating additional future business opportunities in areas like the circular economy to ensure long-term investments[5]. Similarly, the Osnabrück plant stands to benefit from such innovative, sustainable planning frameworks aligned with Volkswagen’s financial and environmental goals, while adapting to partnerships like the one with Chery[2][3][4].
In a nutshell, Volkswagen is taking a responsible approach to planning the future of its smaller Osnabrück plant, integrating it into their broader restructuring and cost-cutting plan, leveraging partnerships with Chinese automaker Chery for electric vehicle production in Europe, and ensuring the plant remains competitive and eco-conscious[2][3][4][5].
- "The steel industry might play a crucial role in Volkswagen's plans to make its German sites more competitive and eco-friendly, as they could potentially collaborate with suppliers for the production of vehicles and components that meet stringent environmental standards."
- "The Lower Saxony government and the steel industry could provide valuable support for the state's transportation infrastructure and the efficiency of the automotive sector, especially during the transition to electrified and autonomous vehicles, which might require substantial investment and technological advancements."
