German Volkswagen Considers Entry into Defense Industry

German automaker Volkswagen is considering entering the defense industry. Oliver Blume, Volkswagen's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), said on the 11th (local time) in an interview with ZDF, citing the production of military vehicles as an example, "Basically, we are open to such discussions."

He stated that they are carefully examining whether there is a need in the defense industry for the utilization of two German factories where automobile production is set to be halted.

Due to a decline in automobile demand, Volkswagen planned to close two or three of its ten German factories last year. However, they agreed with the labor union to suspend production at the Osnabr?ck and Dresden plants by 2027 at the latest, seeking alternatives such as selling the factories instead of shutting them down.

As the two German factories effectively came onto the market, Chinese authorities and the automotive industry showed interest in acquiring them, and rumors circulated that a defense company might acquire Volkswagen subsidiary Audi's Brussels plant in Belgium.

Volkswagen is already indirectly participating in the defense industry through a joint venture between its commercial vehicle subsidiary MAN Truck & Bus and the defense company Rheinmetall.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.