The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand resumed vehicle production at its Wolfsburg plant on Monday, with the Golf production set to recommence on a one-shift basis, albeit with reduced capacity and longer cycle times.
On Monday, some 8,000 employees are returning to the production halls, the company said in a release.
Production of the Volkswagen Tiguan and Touran models, as well as the SEAT Tarraco, will begin on Wednesday. A multi-shift operation is to get underway again the following week, the company said.
At the same time, some 2,600 suppliers, the majority of them located in Germany, have resumed production for Volkswagen’s main plant., it said. Measures to protect the health of the workforce have been significantly expanded, it added.
“Step-by-step resumption of production is an important signal for the workforce, dealerships, suppliers and the wider economy. In terms of managing the crisis, though, this is just the first step. Additional momentum is needed to stimulate demand in Germany and throughout Europe so that production volumes can be successively increased,” said Ralf Brandstätter, Chief Operating Officer of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand.
Some 1,400 vehicles are expected to have been built by the end of the first week of production at the Wolfsburg plant. Production is to be ramped up to more than 6,000 vehicles in the following week as multi-shift operation recommences. That represents approximately 40 percent of production before the start of the corona pandemic, the company said.