Is Bratislava's Volkswagen in the game for the production of a new electric car?

The Slovak arm of the German carmaker has refused to comment.

Car production remained the main driving force of the Slovak economy in Q2 2021.Car production remained the main driving force of the Slovak economy in Q2 2021. (Source: Sme)

The German carmaker Volkswagen will allegedly build its new small electric car in its factory in Bratislava. The company had initially intended to produce the car at its factory in Emden, Germany, but chose Bratislava instead because wage costs are lower in Slovakia than in Germany, German business paper Handelsblatt reported last week. The Slovak arm of the carmaker has treated the information as speculation and refused to comment on it.

SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement
SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement

“It’s known that the Bratislava plant of Volkswagen Slovakia is currently seeking the production of new products so that it secures jobs in the future,” said Lucia Kovarovič Makayová, spokesperson of Volkswagen Slovakia as cited by the TASR newswire.

SkryťTurn off ads

Fewer staffers in Bratislava

This year the Bratislava plant wants to reduce the number of its workers from 2018’s 14,800 by 3,000 to increase efficiency.

Read also: Will Volkswagen Bratislava win production of new models within the group? Read more 

The Bratislava plant began to produce the third generation of the Volkswagen Touareg and the brand new Audi Q8 model last year. Along with these models it manufactures the Audi Q7, the Porsche Cayenne, the Porsche Cayenne Coupé, the Seat Mii, the Škodo Citigo, the Volkswagen up! and its electric version the Volkswagen e-up!.

The Bratislava plant has been producing the Volkswagen e-up! since 2013, when production of this model started in Bratislava as a pilot for the whole group. Usually a production cycle of one car model is about six years. There are no official plans for models built on VW’s electric vehicle platform in Bratislava so far.

SkryťTurn off ads

Oliver Grünberg, chair of Volkswagen Slovakia’s board, said at a press conference on April 17 that the Bratislava plant wants to continue with the production of electric cars.

The allocation of new projects will be decided within the concern at the end of 2019.

Top stories

Foreigners' Police Department on Regrútska 4, Bratislava-Vajnory.

News digest: 20 questions for Foreigners' Police

New Zealand citizen assaulted in Bratislava, ex-interior minister taken to court, and another 'History Talks' edition.


2 h
Volkswagen will make all-electric versions of the Porsche Cayenne luxury SUV.

News Digest: Volkswagen Slovakia to produce all-electric luxury SUV

LGBT+ minority could face new difficulties, a suspect is charged in the Daniel Tupý murder case.


24. mar
Filip Toška holding chard in the hydroponic Hausnatura farm.

How a Mayan doomsday prophecy took a Slovak to hi-tech agriculture

Hydroponic farm run out of former telephone exchange.


9. mar
Bratislava Foreigners' Police department.

FAQ: How to interact with the Foreigners’ Police

Some officers are good – but some, even the police admit, are ‘a disgrace to the force’.


6 h
SkryťClose ad