Business · Companies · 2 hrs ago
VW starts dismantling old cars for recycling at its Zwickau plant
Volkswagen has opened a car dismantling line at its Zwickau factory in Saxony, Germany.
The line will take apart old cars and recover materials that can be used to build new vehicles.
Volkswagen plans to use robots and other automated methods, with a capacity of up to 15,000 cars a year.
That is small beside the roughly 200,000 cars the factory still builds each year.
The company says recycling could reduce its reliance on global supplies of raw materials and lower vehicles’ carbon footprint.
Saxony’s economy minister sees the project as a way to strengthen the factory and support its future, as the site’s outlook has been uncertain.
Whether the recycling can make money remains unclear; that will depend on the value of the materials recovered and what buyers will pay for them.
Volkswagen has opened a new vehicle-dismantling line at its Zwickau plant to recover materials from old cars.
The company plans to dismantle up to 15,000 vehicles a year at the site.
VW says the recovered materials could be reused in new cars, reduce reliance on global raw-material trading and lower vehicle carbon footprints.
Saxony’s economy minister welcomed the project as a way to strengthen the plant and broaden its activities.
Whether the recycling operation will be profitable remains uncertain.
- Who
- Volkswagen is starting the recycling operation at its Zwickau plant.
- What
- A new line will dismantle old cars and recover raw materials.
- When
- The line was officially opened on Wednesday, 28 October 2026.
- Where
- At Volkswagen’s plant in Zwickau, Saxony, Germany.
- Why
- VW aims to reuse recovered materials in new cars and strengthen circular-economy operations; profitability remains uncertain.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Volkswagen presented its recycling plans for Zwickau, amid skepticism about the project.
MDR reported that a new dismantling line was due to open at the Zwickau plant.
Volkswagen officially began dismantling old cars in a converted plant hall.
- Planned capacity
- Up to 15,000 cars per year
- Plant
- Zwickau, Saxony, Germany
- Opening
- 28 October 2026
- Annual vehicle production cited
- About 200,000 cars
- Key uncertainty
- Whether recycling can be profitable
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What people are saying
Konkret verfolgen wir das Ziel, Rohstoffe für den Bau neuer Fahrzeuge wiederzuverwenden. Damit wird Volkswagen unabhängiger vom weltweiten Rohstoffhandel, verringert den CO2-Fußabdruck der Fahrzeuge und schafft neue Geschäftsmodelle.
Die Kreislaufwirtschaft hilft uns, den Standort stärker zu machen, auf breitere Füße zu stellen.
Wir sind Autobauer, das muss man dazusagen. Ich glaube, man muss lernen, zu akzeptieren, dass wir perspektivisch auch Autos auseinandernehmen.
Ob man damit Geld verdienen kann, liegt im Wesentlichen daran, was man an Stoffströmen rausholen und wie teuer man die weiterverkaufen kann.