FRANKFURT -- Volkswagen Group's production restart as countries ease coronavirus restrictions will focus on its Zwickau electric-car plant in Germany and its multibrand plant in Bratislava, Slovakia, that builds SUVs for Porsche, VW and Audi.
The two factories will resume production on April 20, VW said in a news release on Wednesday.
The Zwickau plant builds the ID3, a key model and the first of its new generation of affordable, long-range electric cars. The Golf-sized hatchback is due to start deliveries in Europe in the summer.
The Bratislava factory is a multibrand facility that builds the Porsche Cayenne, VW Touareg and Audi Q7 large SUVs, along with the VW Up, Skoda Citigo and Seat Mii minicars, and axles and floor platforms for the Bentley Bentayga.
Other factories in Germany as well as plants in Portugal, Spain, Russia and the U.S. will resume production starting April 27, VW said.
Factories in South Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico will ramp up production in May.
"With the resolutions passed by the federal and state governments and the easing of measures in other European countries, the framework conditions have been created for gradually resuming production," VW brand Chief Operating Officer Ralf Brandstaetter, said in the release.
VW said it has prepared a 100-point plan to ensure safe workplaces and maximum health protection for employees.
"We are ramping up production and logistics in a staggered and well-ordered manner," VW production boss Andreas Tostmann said in the release.
VW has been restarting production at its component plants since April 6, initially in Germany at its factories in Brunswick and Kassel, and from April 14 in Salzgitter, Chemnitz and Hanover, as well as at its Polish sites, initially to ensure the supply of vehicle production in China.
