Volkswagen will resume building cars at its Slovakian factories next Monday.
Factories in Germany, Portugal, Spain, Russia and the USA will restart from the following week.
Production will resume progressively in South Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico.
“With the decisions by the federal and state governments in Germany and the loosening of restrictions in other European states, conditions have been established for the gradual resumption of production,” says VW’s chief operating officer, Ralf Brandstatter.
He says VW has been preparing for the restart over the past three weeks, developing safety measures for its staff and re- establishing supply chains.
VW executive Andreas Tostmann says the carmaker is resuming production and logistics with a staged approach
“We are providing safe workplaces and the maximum possible level of health protection with a 100-point plan. We are ensuring that the economy regains momentum and cars once again leave the plants and reach our dealers and customers.”
Volkswagen had already begun production at components plants in Germany and Poland to ensure parts supplies for vehicle production in China.
In resuming global production, VW says it can call on the experience gained with the ramp-up at its factories in China after the lockdown was lifted there.
It says 32 of its 33 plants in China are back at work. “No cases of coronavirus have been reported among the employees there,” it says.
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