Volkswagen Passenger Cars is to gradually resume production in Europe, starting with its plants in Zwickau and Bratislava (Slovakia).
The other plants in Germany and in Portugal, Spain, Russia and the USA are to restart production next week. Subsequently, during May, production will be resumed successively in South Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico.
Volkswagen brand Chief Operating Officer Ralf Brandstätter, said: “With the decisions by the federal and state governments in Germany and the loosening of restrictions in other European states, conditions have been established for the gradual resumption of production.”
Production will be resumed in line with the current availability of parts, government requirements in Germany and Europe, the development of sales markets and the resulting modes of operation at the plants. Irrespective of these developments, compliance with the stringent health protection measures for employees will always be the top priority for the company.
In the resumption of production, the company can also call upon the experience gained with the production ramp-up at its plants in China where a large number of consistent health protection measures have been successfully implemented.
All but one of the 33 plants Volkswagen has in China have now returned to production. No cases of coronavirus have been reported among the employees there since the restart. Volkswagen said it continues to closely monitor the global situation.
