The Volkswagen headquarters, which has recently been underutilized, has been awarded the contract for an additional e-model from 2026 within the group. As part of the investment planning, which was initially postponed in the fall, the decision has now been made to locate the development and construction of the all-electric compact SUV in Wolfsburg, as announced by participants on Thursday at the sidelines of a works meeting.
The car should be about the size of today’s Tiguan and based on a revised version of the current MEB electric platform (“MEB plus”), announced Daniela Cavallo, head of the works council.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) was also invited to the staff meeting. According to information from the group environment, he also indirectly commented on the controversial new EU emissions standard Euro-7. This should bring severe tightening of the permitted emissions, which, however, sometimes require complicated technology and, according to the automotive industry, should make small vehicles in particular more expensive.
Scholz visits golf production
Scholz therefore assured that the federal government would “not forget the present when looking to the future and always ensure realistic solutions”. In order to further promote investments in e-mobility, it is necessary “that we also retain our economic strength as a basis for renewal”. Group boss Oliver Blume also spoke to the employees about the topic.
The Chancellor had previously visited the Wolfsburg Golf production facility. In the Volkswagen main plant, where the Tiguan, Touran and Seat Tarraco are also manufactured, a lot of work had been lost since the beginning of the supply crisis with microchips and other electronics. Production capacities could not be used in places, the headquarters were far below the agreed goals.
The new e-SUV should soon secure employment more strongly again. The car is considered a temporary bridge until the future core model Trinity is ready to go. Its planning had been postponed due to problems in software development. Trinity is to get its own systems and be based on a completely new platform (SSP) – but the start-up will probably last until the end of the decade.
Wolfsburg is also being prepared for an overflow production of the electric ID.3 from Zwickau. A planned extra factory for the Trinity, on the other hand, could be on the brink. Alternatively, parts of the main plant could be converted. VW recently emphasized that the option to build new vehicles is also being kept open. A final decision will be made by March.
Industry calls for political support
Cavallo emphasized that the industry needs the help of politicians in the difficult sector upheaval. With the previous decisions to expand the e-business, VW has drawn consequences from the mistakes of the diesel crisis. In the transitional period with modernized combustion engines, Wolfsburg must “be able to be seen again in terms of production volume in the medium term”. She called for support for the accelerated expansion of the e-car charging network and more renewable electricity production in Germany – “but also for the next European regulations for our vehicles with combustion engines”.
Scholz stated that Germany will remain a country “in which automobile production plays a central role in our economic activity”. Competitive electricity prices are also crucial – not only for the breakthrough of e-mobility, but also for many other industrial processes. The energy transition will therefore have to pick up speed. Regarding political steps to create incentives for setting up more charging stations, he said: “We will set the pace that is necessary for this.”
