Volkswagen’s management is considering the possibility of assembling vehicles on behalf of other automakers, according to Automobilwoche.
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Such a move would help Volkswagen improve its capacity utilisation.
In addition Volkswagen is considering restructuring vehicle assembly shifts to dramatically improve efficiency.
The proposals were made by CEO Bernd Pischetsrieder in an effort to move forward on-going talks with unions about securing jobs at six German plants.
In an interview with Automobilwoche during the IAA commercial vehicles show in Hannover, Bernd Wiedemann, CEO of VW commercial vehicles, confirmed an interest in contract assembly.
However, he noted that the main commercial vehicle plant in Hannover is fully used, with the T5 van range, a new VW pick-up planned and a contract to build and paint the bodies of the new Porsche Panamera, which is due to go on sale from 2009.
Volkswagen management is also reported to be considering building the next generation Audi A3 at Wolfsburg, to maximise the production and component synergies with the Volkswagen Golf which shares the platform along with other VW group models.
The A3 apparently has more in common with the Golf than the Audi A4 and, by building the model in Wolfsburg, Audi would gain some much needed capacity at its Ingolstadt plant to build niche models such as the upcoming Q5.
By adding production of a second high volume model to Wolfsburg, Volkswagen would fulfil one of the core requirements of its unions, and come closer to an agreement on returning to a 35-hour week.
