The suspension of car production at the Palmela plant was formally communicated shortly after the president of the Volkswagen group announced the interruption of production at several plants, namely in Spain, Slovakia, Italy and also in Portugal, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. .
“Spain, Portugal, Slovakia and Italy will be affected starting this week with interruptions in production and most of the other German and European factories are preparing the suspension for two to three weeks”, said the group’s president, Herbert Diess, during a virtual press conference.
“The main objective is to reduce the spread of the coronavirus as much as possible and, to that end, Volkswagen has approved numerous measures,” said Diess.
At issue is, according to the official, the “clear deterioration in sales and” uncertainty in supply”.
In turn, Chief Financial Officer Frank Witter stressed that “the magnitude and duration of the impact on the Volkswagen group of the Covid-19 expansion is uncertain”.
“A reliable prognosis today is almost impossible,” he said.
In Europe, Volkswagen has six plants in Germany, as well as locations in Poland, Spain, Slovakia, Portugal and Russia.
Autoeuropa had already suspended production on 16 March, because many workers stayed at home with their children due to the closure of schools, but it was only on 17 March that it was officially confirmed that the interruption of production will continue until 29 March.