VW slams production into reverse as industry faces battles on all sides

Plan to cut German factories is politically fraught but makes sense economically

• VW considers German plant closures to save billions in costs

When Bernd Pischetsrieder attempted to cut jobs at Volkswagen in the early 2000s, he was forced out. When Herbert Diess tried the same, he got the same result, leaving in 2022. Yet now Volkswagen appears to be deliberately grasping the nettle.

This time it's different," says Matthias Schmidt, a Berlin-based automotive analyst. Chief executive Oliver Blume is VW through and through", and his actions likely reflect the desires of the controlling Porsche and Piech dynasties, Schmidt said. The course is set for a historic clash over the future for Germany's largest carmaker.