VDA warning not true: car manufacturers can still produce

Monday, February 15, 2021

VDA warning not true
Car manufacturers can still produce

The industry association VDA is concerned about the border controls, there could be delivery bottlenecks and standstills on the production line in the plants. Contrary to what was expected, however, many car manufacturers can still produce without restrictions. The feared break in the supply chain has not yet occurred.

The Bavarian car manufacturers BMW and Audi have so far not had any major problems with the border controls due to the corona pandemic. "Our plants are currently supplied and are producing according to plan," said BMW. "The first deliveries have already crossed the borders and arrived at our plants without any major delays." An Audi spokesman said: "We are currently producing without restrictions, are monitoring the situation and further developments."

On Sunday, the Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) warned that due to problems to be expected at the border crossings, automobile production would largely come to a standstill from noon today. Due to the controls decided on at short notice, the car manufacturers could no longer have stockpiles of auto parts. He therefore demanded that truck drivers with a negative and medically confirmed corona test would have to be smuggled past possible border jams using special lanes.

"The plants in Ingolstadt, Regensburg, Dingolfing, Zwickau and Leipzig are the first to be affected," said the VDA. Audi produces among others in Ingolstadt, BMW among others in Dingolfing, Regensburg and Leipzig. The two manufacturers also do not report any major problems with affected commuters with regard to staff. Audi Ingolstadt is too far from the border to have a large number of commuters. At BMW there are "some commuters who are affected by the border controls". But their number is relatively small.

On Friday, the VDA had already warned of a "break in the supply chain" and suggested temporarily accepting self-rapid tests by truck drivers at the affected borders, even without a medical certificate. "The first production lines will stop after just a few hours if there is no material supply," said VDA President Hildegard Müller.