A mess made in Germany: Volkswagen’s trials warn against resisting the green transition
The woes of the German automobile giant Volkswagen (VW) offer a lesson that applies beyond Germany and Europe: resist the green transition at your own peril – as laggards will pay a heavy price. Paul Hockenos reports. When Volkswagen, a cornerstone of Germany’s export economy and Europe’s largest industrial employer, announced on 4 September 2024 that it is considering plant closures and layoffs – for the first time in its 87-year history – shudders of angst reverberated across the country and beyond. The multinational Volkswagen, a company that includes Audi, Lamborghini and Porsche, is such a symbol of consistency and made-in-Germany reliability that the brand is synonymous with the country’s USD 1.6 trillion export tally, third worldwide behind only the US and China. In October, it confirmed the closure of three plants in Germany, as well as the Belgian Audi plant in Brussels. And more turbulent times are ahead, cry its chiefs, because VW’s expensive luxury models aren’t selling like they have been and China’s domination of the world’s surging electric vehicle market is set …
The woes of the German automobile giant Volkswagen (VW) offer a lesson that applies beyond Germany and Europe: resist the green transition at your own peril – as laggards will pay a heavy price. Paul Hockenos reports. Credits: PxHere When Volkswagen, a cornerstone of Germany’s export economy and Europe’s largest industrial employer, announced on 4 September 2024 that it is considering…
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