So far, the Volkswagen Group has produced just 300,000 cars this year at the Wolfsburg (Germany) plant, a figure that according to a company source — quoted by Automotive News Europe — has not been so low since 1958.
This production unit, from which models such as the Golf, Tiguan and SEAT Tarraco come out, has been producing an average of 780,000 vehicles a year for approximately a decade and since 2018 it has aimed to raise this number beyond the million barrier. units. But it is currently only producing a third of that target.
The reasons are, of course, related to supply problems and the shortage of chips that has affected the operations of car manufacturers and that has even led to the suspension of several production units due to lack of components, including "our" Autoeurope.
This, together with the Covid-19 pandemic, meant that in 2020 only less than 500,000 cars had left the assembly line in Wolfsburg, a number which, according to the Die Zeit publication, will be even lower this year. the worsening of the semiconductor crisis.
It is estimated that the chip shortage will result in 7.7 million fewer vehicles being produced this year and will cost the industry around €180 billion.
Remember that the production unit in Wolfsburg — founded in May 1938 — is one of the largest in the world and has an area of around 6.5 million m2.
