“Again?”, we might be tempted to say when reading this umpteenth bad news from Volkswagen on the electric car. After a first break in October, production of the Volkswagen ID.3 and Cupra Born is once again interrupted until the end of the year! We will explain everything to you.
In the world of electric cars, it’s either make or break. BYD and Tesla, for example, are breaking new ground and beating each other in terms of sales figures (and the price of their cars). On the Volkswagen group side, on the other hand, it’s less of a party.
The bad news keeps piling up: a falling number of orders? Factory projects postponed? Software that is impossible to release? New things that aren’t coming? A new engine that can’t be produced? Job cuts? We had everything. And it’s not over : Electrive tells us that the production of two electric cars, the ID.3 and the Cupra Born, its twin, was interrupted until the end of 2023 due to insufficient demand.
The temporary workers toast
The factories in Zwickau and Dresden will therefore stop producing electric compacts until the end of the year, even if a spokesperson has already warned that new production stoppages will take place in 2024.
Corollary: this same spokesperson indicated to the local press that the factories will get rid of 500 temporary workers next year, after a first wave of 269 departures in 2023. The night shift had in fact been eliminated, and the production line for the two models had already been shut down for October holidays.
A bad milestone to pass?
Come on, let’s be optimistic: the group could well get back on track. The projects are numerous: once the production problem has been resolved, the new engine, more powerful and economical, could revive the careers of the ID.4, ID.5, Skoda Enyaq and Audi Q4 e-tron, while the electric Porsche Macan and the Audi Q6 e-tron show promise thanks to their new platforms.
Accessible models are not left out either, with an ID.2 announced for 2025 for under 25,000 euros and an ID.1 which would be in the pipeline with an access price under 20,000 euros. China is also in the brand’s sights, with a massive investment in the development of an entry-level platform. Top hearts !