These are certainly not easy times for Volkswagen. Despite the positive financial results to date, the changes in European emission standards are frightening Wolfsburg, especially considering the difficulty in achieving success the 100% electric range.
A few days ago the financial director Arno Antlitz had stated that his company has two years to avoid collapse, and certainly in recent weeks he has worked on this point. According to the German newspaper Manager MagazineAntlitz has worked out a new plan, with a practically immediate saving of 20 billion euros.
The next five-year investment budget in autumn will be reduced from 180 billion to 160 billion euros and, again according to the local press, one of the projects involved would be the renewal of the 100% electric platform. The well-known MEB was supposed to become MEB+to keep electric vehicles up to date, as an intermediate step before switching to the new SSP platform.
The first MEB+ electric cars were supposed to arrive in 2026, but according to the report, Volkswagen’s Chief Financial Officer would like to move directly to SSP in 2028thus skipping a step. Consequently The cuts would hit the research and development department hardwith a possible cut from 4,000 to 6,000 employeesout of a total of 13,000 in Germany.
He would be involved in the cuts the administration sector tooto get to a total of 30,000 layoffs. A number that Volkswagen called “nonsense”, although a spokesperson confirmed that “One thing is clear: Volkswagen must reduce costs at its German sites. This is the only way the brand can earn enough money to invest in the future. How we will achieve this together with employee representatives is part of the upcoming talks“.
Source: greenmove.hwupgrade.it
