Volkswagen surprised. As electric car prices drop, people are buying them instead of gasoline models
According to the weekly magazine Automobilwoche, demand for electric cars in Germany and Europe has caught Volkswagen by surprise. The company is now adjusting this year’s production plans regarding the number of units to be manufactured in Wolfsburg (only combustion engine models) as well as in Emden and Zwickau (electric vehicles). Targets are being reduced in Wolfsburg, while production is set to increase in Emden and Zwickau. Adjustments to the number of shifts are planned everywhere to meet demand.
People prefer quieter and cheaper-to-operate electric cars when prices are comparable — unheard of!
Automobilwoche cites sales director Martin Sander. The headquarters in Wolfsburg expects to produce around 580,000 internal combustion engine vehicles this year, compared to the planned over 600,000, thus reaching a level similar to that of 2025 (577,444 vehicles). Meanwhile, Emden is performing better due to strong demand for the VW ID.7. Two additional shifts are planned at this plant. Zwickau, on the other hand, is accelerating production of VW ID.3 Neo orders, which are also gaining increasing popularity.
VW ID.3 Neo production in Zwickau (c) Volkswagen
Both factories faced issues with excess production capacity. In May 2026, Volkswagen maintained two shifts, but vehicles began to be assembled only on a few production lines. In contrast, Wolfsburg has operated steadily and even accelerated production at times; for example, additional shifts were introduced over the weekends in May and June 2025 to meet demand for the VW Golf and Tiguan (source). The VW Touran and Tayron also left/leave this factory.
Symbolic start of VW Tayron production at the Wolfsburg factory in November 2024
Automobilwoche expects the positive trend in electric vehicle factories to continue. The VW ID. Tiguan, successor to the VW ID.4, should start leaving Emden soon, so rising demand for the ID.7 will only help the facility. Zwickau also has reasons to be satisfied, as it will soon lose the ID.4 to Emden and the ID.5, which—all indications suggest—will be discontinued. People prefer SUVs, leaving the plant with only the Audi Q4 e-tron. Interestingly, according to initial plans, both factories were supposed to close by 2031.
The German automotive weekly estimates that, given the number of orders, including interest in MEB+ FWD models produced in Spain, Volkswagen is already selling more electric cars than gasoline-powered vehicles in Germany.
A masked Volkswagen ID. Tiguan photographed during tests in Szczecin by our reader (c) MOW_MI_WUJU
Article rating
Reader ratings
[Total: 4 votes Average: 4.8]
Don’t miss new content — CLICK and FOLLOW Elektrowoz.pl on Google News. You might also be interested in the following ads: