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ID.3 production in Zwickau

Photo: Hendrik Schmidt/dpa

Europe's largest car manufacturer Volkswagen is canceling the previously planned so-called overflow production of the electric model ID.3 in Wolfsburg.

The company has decided to continue building the compact electric model exclusively in Saxony, a spokesman said on Friday in Wolfsburg.

The start of assembly at the main plant planned for summer has been canceled again.

The “Braunschweiger Zeitung” had previously reported.

“The bottom line is that every euro that we don’t necessarily have to spend counts,” said Production Director Christian Vollmer, explaining the decision in an interview.

"For this reason, we have decided to continue to pool the volume of the ID.3 in Zwickau and to effectively utilize the already fully equipped location."

E-car production should still begin in Wolfsburg

Due to weak demand for electric cars, VW recently had to cut shifts at its purely electric car location in Saxony.

Last year, VW delivered a total of 140,800 ID.3s.

The abandonment of additional production in Wolfsburg is therefore good news for Zwickau, said Vollmer.

However, this has no impact on the existing ID.3 assembly in Dresden, where the car is also being built in small numbers, the spokesman added.

Assembly there continues.

In Wolfsburg, on the other hand, the focus for the time being is on the production of combustion and hybrid vehicles such as the Golf and Tiguan, said Vollmer.

»These are consistently strong models that make full use of the location.

I am confident that this year we will exceed the 500,000 vehicle production mark at the main plant for the first time in a long time."

VW announced at the end of 2021 that it would also assemble the ID.3 in Wolfsburg in addition to Zwickau.

Originally, small-scale production was supposed to start at the end of 2023.

The conversion of the main factory for electric cars will continue without the ID.3, added Vollmer.

According to previous information, an electric SUV will be launched here in 2026, and later a new electric Golf.

beb/dpa