GermanyVolkswagen Group is preparing for a deeper round of restructuring. According to Reuters, CEO Oliver Blume sent staff an internal memo warning that the company may need to cut 50,000 more jobs on top of measures already agreed, which would bring the total to as many as 100,000 positions.
The Group had already agreed to cut around 50,000 jobs across Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, and Cariad. A further 50,000 would roughly double that figure.
Blume said VW Group’s costs run about 20% higher than its competitors. He pointed to several pressures at once: weak sales in China, price competition, US tariffs, and low utilisation at European plants.
Volkswagen has not publicly confirmed any plant closures, but sites in Emden, Hannover, Zwickau, and Neckarsulm remain under pressure. The company is looking for ways to keep them running, including new production projects.
The warning follows Volkswagen Group’s confirmation last week that it plans to cut annual production capacity from around 12 million cars to 9 million and simplify its model lineup by dropping up to half of its roughly 150 model lines. Taken together, the cuts could become one of the largest restructurings in the auto industry’s history.
