VW Cuts Another 50,000 Jobs and Possibly a Brand: TDS - The Drive
Volkswagen is restructuring its operations, resulting in 50,000 additional job cuts and potential brand changes for Seat. Meanwhile, BMW has issued a recall for 190,000 older vehicles in Germany due to fire risks associated with starter relays.
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Illustrates the significant economic and operational challenges facing the European automotive industry.
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Hello and welcome to The Downshift , or TDS for short, The Drive’s morning news roundup bringing you the biggest automotive headlines from around the world.
The Downshift recaps news briefly, with links to full stories for those seeking more info. Here’s your bulletin for Friday, September 4, 2026. Happy Labor Day and enjoy the long weekend!
🏭 Volkswagen’s board of supervisors finally approved a plan to restructure the company, to the tune of 50,000 more job cuts. That brings the planned total reduction in headcount to 100,000, of a global workforce of more than 650,000 people. Additionally, rather than close four of its plants, in Emden, Hanover, Neckarsulm, and Zwickau, VW will “seek alternatives” for their continued operation, which could mean sales to other automakers. [ Reuters ]
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