According to Reuters, on September 29th, Europe's largest automaker, Volkswagen Group, stated that it plans to produce the next-generation Trinity electric vehicle at its Zwickau plant, abandoning the entirely new factory plan set by the group's former CEO.
According to the plan of former Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess, the Trinity electric vehicle based on Volkswagen's new Scalable Systems Platform (SSP) was originally scheduled to be launched in 2026. However, not long after taking office, the current CEO of the Volkswagen Group, Oliver Blume, postponed the project by two years to alleviate the pressure on the troubled software subsidiary Cariad.
Volkswagen's initial plan was to build a new factory for Trinity, but due to developmental delays, the group also considered revamping its Wolfsburg factory. That day, the Volkswagen Group held a supervisory board meeting to discuss where the Trinity would be produced. After the meeting, the group said, "We have decided that there is no need to build another factory in Wolfsburg Warmenau. The Trinity model will be produced by Volkswagen's Zwickau plant."
The Volkswagen Group pointed out that this change in plans is part of the vehicle production allocation plan for the Volkswagen brand before 2028. Volkswagen brand CEO Thomas Schaefer stated, "The newly approved vehicle allocation plan will make a significant contribution to a strong and competitive Volkswagen brand."
The automaker added that the Golf model will "lead the electric future" at its main Wolfsburg plant; the Osnabrueck factory will continue to assemble Porsche models, including an electric model.
The Zwickau plant is currently facing a sluggish demand and is cutting back on the three-shift production plan that has been in place for more than 30 years. Given the current market situation, Volkswagen's Zwickau plant will reduce car production during the Saxony autumn holiday from October 2nd to October 13th.
