Overview
- VW’s PowerCo has started serial output of the unified battery cell in Salzgitter, beginning with hundreds of cells per day and targeting up to 700,000 daily and roughly 20 GWh per year.
- Initial cells do not yet meet quality requirements and significant equipment and specialist support come from China, a buildup VW describes as benefiting from “China Speed.”
- Volkswagen will discontinue the Polo with a combustion engine and plans to launch the electric ID. Polo in spring 2026 at about €25,000, with early Salzgitter cells slated for the ID. Polo and Cupra Raval.
- Volkswagen will phase out the agency sales model for private customers across Europe and return to dealer-based retail, keeping the agency approach only for fleet buyers.
- Restructuring advances as production ends in Dresden, uncertainty persists in Osnabrück, and around 35,000 jobs are expected to be cut in Germany by 2030, reflecting broader financial strain and shrinking EV share in China.