Volkswagen's Supervisory Board Backs Sweeping Cuts: Fewer Models, 100,000 Jobs Gone by 2030

Volkswagen’s supervisory board has signed off on a restructuring plan that will shrink its model lineup and cut up to 100,000 positions worldwide by 2030. The move, first reported by Germany’s Manager Magazin in June, was expected to be formalized at a board meeting on July 9.

The plan reportedly includes closing four factories in Germany, a significant shift for a company long associated with job security and domestic manufacturing. The cuts would affect workers both in Germany and at international operations.

This decision reflects the intense pressure on legacy automakers to streamline operations as they pivot toward electric vehicles and contend with rising competition and cost challenges. For Volkswagen, the world’s second-largest automaker, the overhaul represents one of its most dramatic contractions in recent history.