Volkswagen opens vehicle dismantling line at Zwickau plant
The operation is set to dismantle 4,100 vehicles annually from 2027, with capacity planned to reach 15,000 by 2030.
Volkswagen has begun operating an industrial vehicle dismantling line at its Zwickau factory in Germany, where car production will continue. The company says the operation, its first of this kind, will recover original-equipment parts and raw materials from vehicles that have reached the end of their useful lives.
The eight-station operation will process 4,100 vehicles annually from 2027, running on two shifts. Volkswagen has retrained 100 employees for the work and plans to expand annual capacity to 15,000 vehicles by 2030. Used genuine parts have been supplied through dealers, repair shops and parts retailers since July.
Volkswagen is investing up to €90 million, while Saxony is contributing funding of up to €10.7 million. The new division is expected to employ up to 1,000 people. The company plans to use data platforms and AI applications to monitor and manage material flows.
Equipment installation took nine months, finishing three months earlier than scheduled, and included machinery reused from conventional vehicle production. Volkswagen also plans to develop a European network of circular-economy partners over the longer term.
