VW ramps up Wolfsburg production faster than planned

BERLIN -- Volkswagen is ramping up production in Wolfsburg faster than originally planned as the supply situation stabilizes, despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.

A second shift of Golf production will start as early as this Wednesday, VW told Automotive News Europe in an emailed statement.

In the coming weeks the Golf will be produced in a three-shift operation to be able to deliver customer vehicles as quickly as possible, VW said. Future production will be managed depending on the supply situation, the automaker said.

VW has said its plants in Zwickau and Dresden, which build ID electric cars, will take longer to get back to normal.

Zwickau, which produces VW, Audi and Seat Cupra compact EVs, will come back online after Wolfsburg, but not until early April.

The war in Ukraine has led to supply problems across the automotive industry. Among other components, the lack of deliveries for cable harnesses has become a problem.

VW Group has tried to adjust for the lost cable harness output by boosting production of the component in Romania, Hungary, Tunisia and Morocco, as well as in Mexico and China.

Ford's output in Germany and Spain has been hit by parts shortages related to the Ukraine war, with production of the Focus compact car at Ford's Saarlouis plant in Germany suspended on Monday for five days until Friday.

Renault meanwhile resumed production at its Moscow plant on Monday, a company spokesperson told Reuters. The Renault Duster, Kaptur and Arkana models, and the Nissan Terrano are built there.