1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites
Live TV
Latest audioLatest videos
In focus
Middle EastUS election Ukraine
The VW logo on a building with a dark, cloudy sky in the background
Image: Horst Galuschka/IMAGOImage: Horst Galuschka/IMAGO

Volkswagen's struggles

German carmaking giant Volkswagen has seen its profits fall, and has said it plans to close three plants in Germany. Though the company remains profitable, management has called for increased efficiency and cost cutting.

Skip next section All Content on this topic

All Content on this topic

A mobile vaccine vehicle at a VW site in Zwickau

Germany's company doctors ready to vaccinate

Germany's company doctors could help accelerate the rollout of vaccinations. But they're waiting on politicians.
HealthApril 16, 2021
A man powers up an electric Volkswagen GTI

April comes early: Volkswagen name change just a joke

German automaker Volkswagen had said on Tuesday that it was renaming its US operations to "Voltswagen of America."
BusinessMarch 30, 2021
Martin Winterkorn, former Volkswagen CEO

Volkswagen claims damages from ex-CEOs over 'dieselgate'

The auto group says past executives breached their "duty of care."
BusinessMarch 26, 2021
external

Volkswagen is electrifying America

VW wants to invest massively in the e-mobility infrastructure in the US, planning to build 800 charging stations.
BusinessMarch 23, 202102:57 min
Men work at the assembly line of the Volkswagen van known in Brazil as "Kombi" in Sao Bernardo do Campo, outskirt of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Coronavirus: VW shuts down Brazil plants as cases spike

The car firm will stop its productions lines there from Wednesday amid an alarming rise in coronavirus infections.
HealthMarch 20, 2021
Herbert Diess and Elon Musk

Has VW cracked the code to overtake Tesla?

With legacy players like VW beginning to get their act together, Tesla's days as EV leader might be numbered.
BusinessMarch 15, 2021
Volkswagen logo

VW cuts jobs as part of 'green' shakeup

Volkswagen says it is making savings to invest in new technologies as EU regulators crack down on emissions.
BusinessMarch 14, 2021
Audi logo on a newly-produced car in Germany's Ingolstadt

Audi not liable in VW scandal — for now

This could change if proof emerges that executives knew that the parent company was tampering with emissions values.
Law and JusticeMarch 8, 2021
external

Ford Cologne goes electric

US car giant Ford is to invest $1 billion to convert its Cologne plant to produce all-electric cars.
BusinessMarch 2, 202101:57 min
REV Challenge Wintercamping Julia Dorny

Getting around the lockdown – spending the winter in a camper van

Is a winter vacation possible with hotels shut? Yes! In a classy, warm VW T6 camper van!
Cars and TransportationFebruary 17, 202109:10 min
DW Rev Sendungslogo deutsch und englisch

REV - The Global Auto and Mobility Show

The new Audi Q5 Sportback and SQ5, winter life in a VW camper van, a ride-hailing driver in Paris.
Cars and TransportationFebruary 17, 202126:05 min
Medical center in Portugal

Portugal's coronavirus rollercoaster

Two weeks ago, Portugal's medical system almost collapsed after an explosion of COVID infections during the holidays.
BusinessFebruary 16, 202102:10 min
04.2015 DW Business Sendungslogo

DW Business – Europe & America

Biden Phones Xi - Volkswagen Teams with Microsoft - Mexico Reopens Shops
BusinessFebruary 11, 202112:03 min
DW Business Africa Sendungslogo

DW Business – Europe

African Startup Investment Falls - Volkswagen Teams with Microsoft
BusinessFebruary 11, 202112:58 min
Martin Winterkorn

Market manipulation charges dropped against ex-VW CEO

Martin Winterkorn will still face trial later this year over the wider emissions scandal, which was uncovered in 2015
BusinessJanuary 15, 2021
Volkswagen's Golf 8 being produced in Wolfsburg, Germany

Chip shortage disrupts global car production

Strong demand for iPhones, Galaxy tabs and Playstation consoles from housebound consumers is to blame.
BusinessJanuary 14, 2021
DW Rev Sendungslogo deutsch und englisch

REV - The Global Auto and Mobility Show

REV and the love of speed: The Golf GTI and 45 years of sporty driving pleasure. REV and the love of Formula E: When will the top racing format F1 go fully electric? REV and the love of travel: We test 3 camper vans.
Cars and TransportationJanuary 13, 202126:06 min
REV Check: VW Golf GTI

Check: VW Golf GTI 8

Showing its age? Does the VW Golf GTI still have what it takes at 45 years?
Cars and TransportationJanuary 13, 202106:07 min
REV Challenge: Camper Vans

Challenge: Three camper vans on a Danish beach

How much does a new camper van cost? Check out three models for sleeping and cooking options.
Cars and TransportationJanuary 13, 202110:38 min
external

China: VW's Uighur problem

Volkswagen builds cars in China’s Xinjiang region and may be using forced laborers in its work force.
January 2, 202102:48 min
MIG Whistleblower, Karsten vom Bruch

A Whistleblower and Dieselgate

Karsten vom Bruch spoke up about emissions cheating and was fired. He's fighting to get his job back.
BusinessDecember 29, 202005:43 min
DW Rev Sendungslogo deutsch und englisch

REV – The Auto and Mobililty Show

The VW ID.4 SUV as electric world conqueror, Master Saban loves beetles, SUVs in a Christmas test.
Cars and TransportationDecember 17, 202026:05 min
REV Check VW ID.4

ID.4: The first electric SUV from VW

The first all-electric SUV from VW: the ID.4. VW wants to conquer the world with their e-flagship.
Cars and TransportationDecember 17, 202010:27 min
REV Vintage Master Saban Automechaniker VW Käfer

Master Saban loves Beetles

A lifelong passion: Master Saban puts his heart and soul into repairing VW Beetles.
Cars and TransportationDecember 16, 202007:21 min
A self-driving car run by Uber

Autonomous cars sector struggles to stay on course

Uber's decision to sell off its driverless cars unit highlights problems inherent to the groundbreaking technology.
BusinessDecember 8, 2020
Daimler AG headquarters in Untertürkheim near Stuttgart, Germany

Pischetsrieder to chair Daimler supervisory board

Daimler has posted profits despite COVID-19 and says the veteran will help shape its future — but unions are rebelling.
BusinessDecember 3, 2020
DW Sendung REV.olution | VW Touareg R

Testing the new VW Touareg R

The Touareg R is the new flagship of VW. REV puts the plug-in hybrid through its paces.
Cars and TransportationDecember 3, 202004:45 min
Nissan's Sunderland plant

Will Nissan close its Sunderland plant?

Since the Brexit vote in 2016, speculation has raged over the future of Nissan's major plant in Sunderland.
BusinessNovember 25, 2020
DW Rev Sendungslogo deutsch und englisch

REV - The Global Auto and Mobility Show

Beirut’s mototaxi for women, Schumacher vs. Hamilton, Toyota Hilux and VW’s electric catch-up race.
Cars and TransportationNovember 25, 202026:06 min
external

VW gears up for worldwide e-car production

German carmakers are chasing Tesla and China in the e-mobility revolution
Cars and TransportationNovember 25, 202002:37 min
external

VW gears up for global e-car production

US manufacturer Tesla is leading in terms of unit numbers. But how are German carmakers reacting?
BusinessNovember 18, 202002:36 min
external

Volkswagen's Uighur problem

Volkswagen builds cars in China’s western Xinjiang province and might have forced laborers in its work force.
BusinessNovember 12, 202003:27 min
DW Sendung Made in Germany 03.11.2020 | E-PKW

German automakers playing catch-up

Can German automakers overtake Tesla? Their switch to electric cars has been a trifle sluggish.
BusinessNovember 3, 202005:07 min
China Guanhzhou | Mercedes-Benz - Autohaus von Mercedes-Benz in China

Are German carmakers too dependent on China?

One in three German cars are sold in China. The world's largest car market is increasingly developing into a lifeline.
BusinessOctober 27, 2020
Former Audi boss Stadler in court

First CEO faces trial over 'dieselgate' scandal

Five years after VW and its subsidiaries were caught using emissions cheat devices, the first CEO is in the dock.
BusinessSeptember 30, 2020
MADE Disruption Design

Made in Germany — Upheavals and new beginnings

Reunification brought the biggest economic upheaval Germany had seen since the Second World War.
BusinessSeptember 30, 202026:06 min
DW Made in Germany | Zwickau

Zwickau: New start for car factory in East Germany

The switch to electric cars is steering the Zwickau car plant in eastern Germany towards the future. 
BusinessSeptember 30, 202006:04 min
external

Mass bankruptcies loom over auto supplier

Collapsing car sales in the pandemic and the switch to electric are a threat to automotive suppliers large and small.
BusinessSeptember 28, 202002:49 min
Workers walk into an exhibition hall during preparations ahead of the Beijing Auto Show in Beijing on September 24,

Auto China 2020: German carmakers look to switch gears

The Beijing motor show is taking place as auto makers struggle to recover from a battering by the pandemic.
BusinessSeptember 25, 2020
Martin Winterkorn, pictured on January 1, 2017.

Dieselgate: Former VW CEO charged with market manipulation

A German court has ruled that Martin Winterkorn must stand trial on a second set of "dieselgate" charges.
Law and JusticeSeptember 24, 2020
Former Volkswagen worker Raimundo Nonato sits in front of VW factory headquarters during a protest against the presentation of the study of Volkswagen's role in Brazil from 1964 to 1985,

Volkswagen to pay victims of Brazil dictatorship

The car giant has agreed to pay millions in compensation, but victims say the deal does not suffice.
Rule of LawSeptember 24, 2020
A VW tailpipe

Dieselgate: VW's ex-chief Winterkorn to stand trial

The former VW head and four others must stand trial over fraud charges in Germany relating to the dieselgate scam.
Law and JusticeSeptember 9, 2020
A VW Beetle in Mexico

VW cuts ties with dealer over Nazi imagery

The German carmaker has expressed grave concerns over the use of Nazi imagery by a Mexican distributor.
BusinessSeptember 9, 2020
external

German auto industry's impressive rebound

German automakers are on the road to recovery after the pandemic slump despite the e-mobility transition on the horizon.
BusinessSeptember 8, 202001:29 min
Deutschland Ingolstadt | Audi AG | Autohersteller

Four ex-Audi managers charged with fraud over 'dieselgate'

These are the latest criminal charges leveled in the "dieselgate" scandal that first emerged in 2015.
Cars and TransportationAugust 6, 2020
A parked Airbus A380 pictured in Toulouse, France, on July 5th, 2020. A large red "STOP" sign is in the foreground.

Firms crippled by coronavirus report miserable Q2 results

Airbus and other firms suffered severe losses in the second quarter of 2020, when the pandemic brought life to a halt.
BusinessJuly 30, 2020
The VW symbol atop the VW tower in Hanover

German court rules on Dieselgate damage claims

The verdict is the latest in a string of key rulings linked to the Dieselgate scandal.
BusinessJuly 30, 2020
A VW assembly line in Zwickau

Volkswagen looks for informer who leaked secret talks

Nearly 50 hours of secretly recorded talks seem to show the carmaker VW engaging in legally dubious behavior.
BusinessJuly 27, 2020
Oliver Schmidt after being arrested in January 2017.

US to extradite ex-VW executive to Germany

Oliver Schmidt was sentenced to seven years in prison for his role in VW's emissions cheating scandal.
Law and JusticeJuly 17, 2020
Deutschland Wolfsburg Coronavirus

Could 400,000 German car industry jobs go?

The car industry is in decline in Germany. Some estimates predict that half its 800,000 jobs will be gone by 2030.
BusinessJuly 9, 2020