The carmaker Volkswagen prepares the switch for its Chemnitz engine plant electromobility before. “The first future product that we want to bring to Chemnitz is thermal management,” said CTO Thomas Schmall at a works meeting, according to the company. This is a first step for the transformation of the location towards “a key work of e-mobility”. So far, only combustion engines have been manufactured in the Saxon city.
The thermal management is needed to reduce the temperature of the batteries electric cars in an optimal range – for example at high temperatures in summer or frost in winter. This affects the service life and range of the batteries. According to Schmall, a new system is being developed at Volkswagen that works more efficiently than previous ones. It should be manufactured in Chemnitz “from the middle of the decade”: “It is the start of the transformation of the location.” Further steps are to follow.
Unlike at the Saxon VW sites in Zwickau and Dresden, which have completely switched to electric vehicles and are therefore pioneers at Volkswagen, the around 1,900 jobs in Chemnitz are still linked to the production of combustion engines. They are installed in models such as the Golf and Tiguan. In recent years, however, emissions have fallen significantly. In 2019 there were 833,000 engines, last year only 591,000. According to the information, employees had recently also helped out at the other locations in Zwickau and Braunschweig.
“The production of classic engines is still an important source of earnings for the group,” emphasized Schmall. “It finances the transition to e-mobility and will therefore be of central importance for many years to come.” The Chemnitz plant will be busy for a long time, TSI engines will be produced until the end of the decade. 25 percent more units are planned for 2023 than this year. Schmall: “We will therefore continue to invest heavily in the location.”