The Volkswagen Group has officially presented its ambitious plan for the production of electric cars in Europe. This colossus of the automotive industry will carry out the electrification of its European vehicle production centers and opens the door to the manufacture of electric cars in Spain.
All the machinery has been put into operation for the Volkswagen Group to successfully complete its transition process towards fully electric mobility in Europe. This colossus of the automotive industry has presented its ambitious plan related to the manufacture of 100% electric vehicles in the Old Continent. The determining keys have been given on how the company will face the electrification of its vehicle production centers.
The Volkswagen Group has announced a push for electrification at its European plants and, in parallel, it has presented its plan to transform its plant in Wolfsburg (Germany) into a place focused on and for the electric vehicle. In addition to the Zwickau and Emden facilities, other European plants will succumb to electrification at its highest level. An ambitious roadmap backed by 89 billion euros.
Electrification of the European plants of the Volkswagen Group
Volkswagen expects that by 2026 one in four vehicles sold will have a 100% electric powertrain. To cope with the growing demand it will be necessary to have a large production capacity. The electrification of the different production centers that the Group has throughout Europe will be decisive.
The company will allocate around 21 billion euros just in its plants in Lower Saxony. In the medium term, the Hannover production center will be exclusively dedicated to the manufacture of electric models. There the first Artemis model will be produced. It has also been Confirmed production body of a new Bentley model
and, in the same way, it has been approved the manufacture of the Volkswagen ID. California. In addition, Hannover will lead the bet for autonomous driving with the MOIA shuttles and the Volkswagen ID. Buzz AD.
On the other hand, German plants dedicated to the manufacture of components They will also have to start their transition process towards electric mobility. Along with the hardware for the charging infrastructures, the Hannover plant will also be dedicated to the manufacture of axles for the models supported by the MEB platform.
In Braunschweig, Salzgitter and Kassel, the Group will invest in expanding the existing production of batteries, rotors and electric motors intended for use in models with MEB architecture. In addition, plants are already preparing to manufacture key components for the SSP platform. The Salzgitter facility will be expanded to become a battery production center. Approximately 2,000 million euros will be allocated.
Volkswagen opens the door to the production of electric cars in Spain
On the other hand, the roadmap presented by the Volkswagen Group also includes new investments in electric mobility both in Germany and in the rest of Europe. In the specific case of Leipzig facility (Germany), the synergies of the electric PPE architecture will be harnessed for the premium segment with two Porsche models.
The Neckarsulm plant, also in Germany, with regard to its electrification, has chosen to re-equip the next generation of models of the Audi A6 family. And from the year 2026, the fully electrified plant in Brussels (Belgium) will be responsible for the manufacture of the Audi Q8 e-tron.
In recent months the possibility that the Volkswagen Group decides to manufacture electric cars in Spain. Specifically in its factories in Pamplona (Navarra) and Martorell (Catalonia). However, at no time has a clear answer to this possibility been given, being quite ambiguous and underlining the fact that it will depend on “various conditions”. Unfortunately, in this presentation, a definitive announcement has not been made in this regard, but progress has been made.
In line with these new investments in electric mobility in Europe, the door is opened to the production of electric vehicles in the Spanish territory. The Volkswagen Group plans to build compact electric vehicles at the Martorell multi-brand plant and electric SUVs in Pamplona starting in 2025. However, the final decision in this regard will depend on general conditions and government incentives.
Volkswagen Group sets Wolfsburg transformation for 2030
On the other hand, and officially, it has also been confirmed that the Project Trinity will be manufactured at the Volkswagen facilities in Wolfsburg. The Board of Directors outlined plans for a far-reaching reorganization of the plant by 2030.
The Trinity Project, for which an off-site factory of the current plant is being considered, aims to create a next-generation battery electric vehicle with a level 4 autonomous driving capability. Plans for the construction of this center Additional production in Wolfsburg are on the table. A site that will be complemented by the most modern research and development center in Europe, the Sandkamp Campus.