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The VW logo on a building with a dark, cloudy sky in the background
Image: Horst Galuschka/IMAGOImage: Horst Galuschka/IMAGO

Volkswagen's crisis

German carmaking giant Volkswagen is reeling from a massive sales and cost crisis and falling profits. It says it plans to scrap three plants and thousands of jobs in Germany.

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News

December 2, 2024

Volkswagen workers strike at factories across Germany

December 1, 2024

Germany: Volkswagen strikes called by trade union

November 29, 2024

Volkswagen rejects union proposal as strikes loom

November 27, 2024

Volkswagen to exit China's Xinjiang, sell factory

November 24, 2024

Volkswagen stands by German factory closure plan

November 21, 2024

VW talks: German union demands deal before Christmas

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Skip next section Reports & Analysis

Reports & Analysis

Employees of Volkswagen demonstrate with a banner reading "Ready for strike" in front of the plant of German car maker Volkswagen in Zwickau,

Labor dispute at VW escalates amid worsening cost crisis

Labor dispute at VW escalates amid worsening cost crisis

VW workers went on strike in support of higher wages. But management wants to lay off workers and close factories.
BusinessDecember 2, 2024
Workers in the production facility of the Leoni factory in Malososte near Nis, Serbia, producing automotive wiring

Are German carmakers exploiting Serbian workers?

Are German carmakers exploiting Serbian workers?

Serbian workers experience hazardous working conditions despite a German supply-chain law meant to protect them.
BusinessNovember 27, 2024
A black-and-white historical image of a VW Beetle in a showroom, surrounded by a massive crowd of people, with a sign reading "1 million" hanging above it

Germany's Volkswagen crisis: an ode to nostalgia

Germany's Volkswagen crisis: an ode to nostalgia

German car manufacturer and long-time economic powerhouse Volkswagen has shaped the lives and memories of generations.
SocietyNovember 10, 2024
A man works on the production line in a car factory

What Trump's tariffs mean for Germany's struggling industry

What Trump's tariffs mean for Germany's struggling industry

German businesses are bracing for the impact punitive tariffs from the US could have on their bottom lines.
TradeNovember 7, 202402:32 min
Unsold cars in China

VW seeks a way out of its crisis

VW seeks a way out of its crisis

VW in crisis. Does it just need to cut costs, or a change in strategy?
BusinessNovember 6, 202405:28 min
A view of VW's headquarter with a logo on the building in Wolfsburg, Germany

Why is Volkswagen so important for Germany?

Why is Volkswagen so important for Germany?

VW's long history isn't enough to help it out of crisis. It will need to reinvent what it does to make the jump to EVs.
BusinessNovember 5, 2024
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Skip next section In the spotlight

In the spotlight

German midfielder Jamal Musiala warms up with the ball at his feet in Groupama Stadium in Lyon, France

How the VW crisis threatens German football sponsorships

Volkswagen's slump in profits and labor crisis could lead the German automaker to reconsider its football sponsorships.
SoccerNovember 4, 2024
Porsche cars in front of a German company headquarter building

Are Germany's subsidized company cars hurting EV adoption?

Germany spends billions of euros to subsidize company cars with combustion engines, slowing the electric mobility shift.
BusinessNovember 1, 2024
A picture showing the silhouette of the Volkswagen factory in the city of Wolfsburg, Germany.

Germany: Will city of Wolfsburg survive Volkswagen's crisis?

Many in Wolfsburg work for VW. As the car giant considers cuts, residents worry about the northern German city's fate.
BusinessOctober 20, 2024
A workers meeting at the VW headquarters in Wolfsburg with workers and management facing it off

Volkswagen's crisis: How can Europe's car industry survive?

While Europe's carmakers mull factory closures their Chinese rivals want to set up shop here. What's going wrong?
BusinessSeptember 23, 2024
An illustration showing the German flag and German car manufacturing moving toward China

What Volkswagen's woes say about Germany's economic future

Job cuts and plant closures at Germany's largest carmaker are a symptom of a wider malaise in Europe's largest economy.
TradeSeptember 11, 2024
The outside facade of the VW components plant in Chemnitz

VW's warning on plant closures in Germany causes outcry

VW is being criticized for a cost-cutting plan that for the first time includes plant closures in Germany.
BusinessSeptember 3, 2024
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