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Volkswagen factory just reopened The world's largest carmaker has made 100 changes to the way its plants operate as it tries to restart business without risking the health of hundreds of thousands of workers. Its experience underscores the daunting task ahead for manufacturers as they resume work in a world still reeling from the pandemic. "We have never developed, produced and sold vehicles under these conditions before," said Bernd Osterloh, the top labor representative at Volkswagen (VLKAF). The gigantic Wolfsburg plant is located on the banks of an equally impressive feat of human engineering, the 200-mile long Mittelland Canal connecting sea and inland ports in Europe. Originally built in 1938 to house workers for Volkswagen's factories, Wolfsburg is still home to the group's headquarters and has produced more than 45 million cars since 1945. It's where the iconic Beetle was produced for more than three decades and where the automaker's be...

Volkswagen's plants in Europe are to restart production Some of Volkswagen's plants in Europe are to restart production next week. The car manufacturer had ceased production at all its plants worldwide due to the Covid-19 pandeic. Now, production is to be resumed at the plants in Zwickau and Bratislava in Slovakia from Monday, April 20, with other plants in Germany, Portugal, Spain, Russia and the USA to restart production in the week from April 27. Subsequently, in the course of May, production will be resumed successively in South Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. Volkswagen Group Components had already started to resume production step-by-step at its plants in Brunswick and Kassel from April 6, followed by the components plants in Germany as well as the Polish plants, from April 14, to safeguard component supplies for vehicle production in China. The auto giant said 32 of its 33 plants in China have now returned to production. No cases of coronavir...