As might be expected, the effects of the coronavirus (or Covid-19) are already being felt in the European car industry.
In response to the risk of propagation, the reduction in the number of employees and market demand and the failures in the supply chains, several brands have already decided to reduce production and even close factories all over Europe.
In this article you can find out what is happening in the European car industry, country by country. Find out which car factories whose production has been affected by the coronavirus prevention measures.
Portugal
— PSA GROUP : after Grupo PSA has decided to close all its factories, the Mangualde unit will remain closed until the 27th of March.— VOLKSWAGEN: production at Autoeuropa is suspended until 29 March. The suspension of production at Autoeuropa was postponed until April 12th. New extension of the suspension of production until 20 April. Autoeuropa intends to gradually resume production as of April 20, with reduced hours and, initially, without the night shift. Autoeuropa is preparing to resume production on April 27, and the conditions for returning to work are still being discussed.
— TOYOTA: production at the Ovar factory is suspended until 27 March.
— RENAULT CACIA: production at the Aveiro plant is suspended from March 18, with no date set for its restart. Production resumed this week (April 13), albeit in a reduced form.
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Germany
— FORD: it reduced production at the Saarlouis factory (from two shifts to just one) but at the Cologne plant production is, for now, proceeding according to normality. Ford has just announced the suspension of production in all its European plants from the 19th of March. Ford postpones the reopening of all its European plants until the month of May.
— PSA GROUP: as will happen in Mangualde, Opel's plants in Germany in Eisenach and Rüsselsheim will also close from tomorrow until March 27th.
— VOLKSWAGEN: five employees at the Kassel component plant were sent home after an employee tested positive for coronavirus. In Wolfsburg, the German brand has two employees in quarantine after testing positive.
— VOLKSWAGEN. The suspension of production at its German units will continue until at least 19 April.
— BMW: the German group will suspend production at all its European plants from the end of this week.
— PORSCHE: production will be suspended at all its factories as of March 21, for a minimum period of two weeks.
— MERCEDES-BENZ: plans call for a return to production at the battery plants in Kamenz from 20 April and at engines in Sindelfingen and Bremen from 27 April.
— AUDI: the German brand plans to resume production in Ingolstadt on 27 April.
Belgium
— AUDI: workers at the Brussels factory stopped production to demand access to protective masks and gloves.— VOLVO: the Ghent factory, where the XC40 and V60 are made, suspended production as of March 20, with plans to resume production as of April 6th.
Spain
— VOLKSWAGEN: the Pamplona factory closes today, March 16.
— FORD: closed the Valencia plant until March 23 after an employee was diagnosed with coronavirus. Ford postpones the reopening of all its European plants until the month of May.
— SEAT: production in Barcelona may have to be stopped for up to six weeks due to production and logistical problems.
— RENAULT: production at the Palencia and Valladolid plants was interrupted this Monday for two days due to a lack of components.
— NISSAN: the two factories in Barcelona stopped production on Friday 13 March. Suspension is maintained for at least the entire month of April.
— PSA GROUP: the factory in Madrid will close on Monday, March 16th and the one in Vigo will close on Wednesday, March 18th.
Slovakia
— VOLKSWAGEN GROUP: : production at the Bratislava plant was suspended. The Porsche Cayenne, Volkswagen Touareg, Audi Q7, Volkswagen Up!, Skoda Citigo, SEAT Mii and Bentley Bentayga parts are produced there.— PSA GROUP: the factory in Trnava will close from Thursday 19 March.
— KIA: the factory in Zilina, where the Ceed and Sportage are produced, will suspend production from 23 March.
— JAGUAR LAND ROVER : the Nitra factory suspends production from March 20th.
France
— PSA GROUP: the Mulhouse, Poissy, Rennes, Sochaux and Hordain units will all close down. The first closes today, the last only on Wednesday and the other three close tomorrow.
— TOYOTA: suspension of production at the Valenciennes plant. From April 22, production will resume on a limited basis, with the factory operating only one shift for two weeks.
— RENAULT: all factories have been closed and there is no scheduled date for their reopening.
— BUGATTI: factory in Molsheim with production suspended since 20 March, still no date to resume production.
Hungary
— AUDI: the German brand has already resumed production at its engine plant in Györ.Italy
— FCA: all factories will be closed until March 27th. The start of production was postponed until May.
—FERRARI : its two factories will be closed until the 27th. Ferrari also postponed the start of production until May.
— LAMBORGHINI : the factory in Bologna is closed until the 25th of March.
— BREMBO : production is suspended at the four brake producer factories.
— MAGNETTI MARELLI : suspended production for three days.
Poland
— FCA: the Tychy factory is closed until March 27th.— PSA GROUP: the factory in Gliwice stops production on Tuesday 16 March.
— TOYOTA: factories in Walbrzych and Jelcz-Laskowice shut down today, March 18th. Both factories are preparing to resume production on a limited basis.
Czech Republic
— TOYOTA/PSA: the factory in Kolin, which makes the C1, 108 and Aygo, will suspend production on 19 March.
— HYUNDAI: the plant in Nosovice, where the i30, Kauai Electric and Tucson are produced, will suspend production from 23 March. The Hyundai factory resumed production.
Romania
— FORD: it has announced the suspension of production at all its European plants as of March 19, including its Romanian unit in Craiova. Ford postpones the reopening of all its European plants until the month of May.— DACIA: the suspension of production was scheduled until April 5th, but the Romanian brand is forced to extend the deadline. Production is expected to resume on April 21st.
United Kingdom
— PSA GROUP: production at the Ellesmere Port factories closes on Tuesday and that of Luton on Thursday.
— TOYOTA: factories in Burnaston and Deeside suspend production from 18 March.
— BMW (MINI / ROLLS-ROYCE): the German group will suspend production at all its European plants from the end of this week.
— HONDA: The factory in Swindon, where the Civic is produced, will suspend production as of March 19, with a scheduled restart on April 6, depending on recommendations from the government and health authorities.
— JAGUAR LAND ROVER : All factories stop from March 20th until at least April 20th.
—BENTLEY : The Crewe factory will cease operations from March 20th until at least April 20th.
— ASTON MARTIN : Gayden, Newport Pagnell and St. Athanaté with production suspended from March 24th until at least April 20th.
—McLAREN : Its factory in Woking, and the unit in Sheffield (carbon fiber components) with production suspended from March 24 until at least the end of April.
— MORGAN : Even little Morgan is “immune”. Production suspended for four weeks (may resume at the end of April) at its factory in Malvern.
— NISSAN: the Japanese brand will maintain the suspension of production throughout the month of April.
— FORD : Ford postpones the reopening of all its European plants until the month of May.
Serbia
— FCA: the factory in Kragujevac will be closed until 27 March.Sweden
— VOLVO : the factories in Torslanda (XC90, XC60, V90), Skovde (engines) and Olofstrom (body components) will have production suspended from March 26 until April 14
Turkey
— TOYOTA: the factory in Sakarya will stop operating on 21 March.
— RENAULT: the factory in Bursa suspended production from 26 March.
Update on March 17 at 1:36 pm — suspension of production at Autoeuropa.
Update March 17 at 3:22 pm — suspension of production at Toyota plant in Ovar and France.
Update March 17 at 7:20 pm — suspension of production at the Renault Cacia factory.
Update March 18 at 10:48 am — Toyota and BMW have announced production suspensions at all their European plants.
Update March 18 at 2:53 pm — Porsche and Ford have announced production suspensions at all their factories (Europe only in the case of Ford).
Update March 19 at 9:59 am — Honda suspends production in the UK.
Update March 20 at 9:25 am — Hyundai and Kia suspend production in Europe.
Update March 20 at 9:40 am — Jaguar Land Rover and Bentley suspend production at their UK plants.
Update March 27 at 9:58 am — Bugatti, McLaren, Morgan and Aston Martin suspend production.
Update March 27 at 18:56 — Renault suspends production in Turkey and Autoeuropa extends suspension.
April 2 12:16 pm update — Volkswagen extends production suspension in Germany.
April 3 11:02 AM update — Dacia and Nissan extend their production suspension period.
April 3 at 2:54 pm update — Ford postpones reopening of all its European plants.
April 9 at 4:12 pm update — Autoeuropa prepares to return to production on April 20th.
Update April 9 at 4:15 pm — Plans to return to production for Mercedes-Benz and Audi in Germany.
Update April 15 at 9:30 am — Ferrari and FCA postpone production resumption, while Hyundai restarts production in the Czech Republic, Renault in Portugal and Romania (Dacia) and Audi in Hungary.
Update April 16 at 11:52 am—Toyota prepares to resume production in France and Poland with some restrictions.
April 16 11:57 AM update—Volkswagen Autoeuropa prepares to resume production on April 27th.
Razão Automóvel's team will continue online, 24 hours a day, during the COVID-19 outbreak. Follow the recommendations of the General Directorate of Health, avoid unnecessary travel. Together we will be able to overcome this difficult phase.