On average, the German plants of Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes & Co were only operating at just over two-thirds of capacity last year. This is the result of an analysis by data specialist Marklines for the German Press Agency.
According to the information, all locations together could deliver 6.2 million cars per year. In 2023, the figure was only a good 4.1 million.
The Marklines figures show huge differences between the locations. While Porsche Stuttgart was almost fully utilized in 2023 at almost 100 percent, and Audi Ingolstadt and BMW Munich performed only slightly worse at almost 90 percent, Opel Eisenach did not even reach 30 percent of its possible capacity. The Ford plant in Cologne was also only utilized at just over a third of its capacity.
The Opel main plant in Rüsselsheim, on the other hand, reached 60 percent. Other large sites were only around half utilized, including the main plants of VW and Mercedes-Benz in Wolfsburg and Sindelfingen. The Tesla plant in Grünheide near Berlin, which opened in 2022, also only managed 51 percent.
Due to the low capacity utilization, several manufacturers have recently reduced production. Audi is considering stopping electric car production in Brussels. The plant could be closed. VW has canceled night shifts at several locations. This means a quarter of capacity is lost. Ford had already announced in 2022 that it would close the plant in Saarlouis at the end of 2025.