Volkswagen job cuts threaten 100,000 positions as Volvo battery plant stalls in Sweden

Volkswagen is negotiating a restructuring plan that could put up to 100,000 jobs at risk, including a possible cut of 50,000 staff and the elimination of half its model lineup. Workers have protested at the Wolfsburg plant and fear large‑scale factory closures. The company is also exploring a partnership with Israeli defence firm Rafael at its Osnabrück site to keep some jobs alive.

In Sweden, Volvo Cars’ planned battery factory on Gothenburg’s Hisingen island remains empty. The project, originally slated to create around 3,000 jobs by 2026, stalled after Volvo ended its collaboration with Northvolt. All 75 employees were laid off in early 2026 and the plant has yet to secure a new partner, leaving the site unused and the expected jobs unrealised.