Volkswagen plant to be converted for Israeli defence group Rafael

AFP | Frankfurt

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Crisis-wracked German auto giant Volkswagen said yesterday that one of its plants would be sold off and converted to make defence equipment after car production ends there.

It is part of a sweeping overhaul at Europe’s top carmaker, which is already pushing through the biggest job-cutting drive in global auto industry history as it battles Chinese competition, US tariffs and patchy electric car sales.

The announcement is also the latest tie-up between Germany’s ailing auto industry and the defence sector, which is booming as countries build up their militaries to face an increasingly dangerous world.

VW’s Osnabrueck plant, in northwest Germany, is to be sold to Tel Aviv-based investors Aurelius Capital and the German state of Lower Saxony, a major VW shareholder, with an air defence project planned for the Israeli firm Rafael Advanced Defence Systems. They did not disclose the sale price.

“With today’s agreement, we are taking an important step towards opening up a new industrial future for the site,” Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume said.

“Volkswagen stands by its responsibility for Osnabrueck,” he said.

The company is seeking to slash production capacity as it struggles with weak demand, and had already decided in 2024 to end vehicle production at the factory by 2027.

The deal will guarantee that at least 1,200 out of 1,800 jobs are preserved at the factory, VW’s works council said.

The project with Rafael will focus on the potential manufacture of systems and components for air defence systems for Germany and Europe, the carmaker said, without giving further details.

“We are building a long-term industrial relationship with our German partners, with the aim that the technology will be fully produced in Germany, in order to protect Germany and Europe,” said Yoav Turgeman, Rafael’s president and CEO.

The Osnabrueck site, which dates back 125 years, currently produces the Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet as well as the Cayman and Boxster for its sister brand Porsche.