Autoeuropa’s plant in Palmela will produce the new Volkswagen model, which will hit the market in 2026, management said this weekend.
In an interview with the Público newspaper, CEO Thomas Hegel Günther explained that production of this new hybrid vehicle will start in 2025.
“Our plan for the future includes a new car that will be launched at the end of 2025. It will be a car that we will produce here, electrified. It will be a hybrid and I think it has a good chance of being very successful,” the manager said.
Asked if this production means an addition to the production of the T-Roc model on the current lines, or if it will add lines to guarantee two models, Gunther replied: “The new model will replace the production of the current model. modify things in the factory with new investment.”
As to whether this decision means the current T-Roc will be built elsewhere, the manager recalled that the model is currently being built in Portugal and China and that Autoeuropa will only produce the new model.
Público also writes that it is unclear whether this will be a hybrid version (internal combustion engine plus electric battery) of the only model that this division produces – T-Roc, or will it be a different one, explaining this by the fact that the brand has registered the ID.Roc trade name. leading to speculation of an all-electric successor, which the brand does not confirm.
Last month, workers at Palmela’s factories demanded action to address “manpower shortages and overload on production lines,” with the administration guaranteeing it would find a way to fix the problems.
Asked by Pubiko, the manager explained: “We have a different situation than last year. [modelos] Volkswagen Sharan and Seat Alambra, and we were able to fully focus on the production of the T-Roc,” adding: “Production of the T-Roc takes about 40% less time than the production of the Sharan.”
“Therefore, the redistribution of tasks on the production line is a normal phenomenon. This is what happened with the involvement of a large number of employees,” he said.
The manager added that the current situation “allows us to produce more [automóveis] T-Roc with the same team” and insisted, “It’s important that we manage to keep the four teams and 5,000 people that we have in our factory.”
The Brazilian-born but German-born manager arrived in Portugal at the end of 2021, when Autoeuropa turned 30. Last year before the workers in the company’s latest agreement, he assumed he would work to ensure the release of a new model for the Portuguese factory.
The German brand will spend $600 million on a new model, upgrades and decarburization. This is 20% more than the 500 million announced a year and a half ago.
At the end of this decade, it will be necessary to decide where to make new investments for new models. Spain already has electric cars and a battery plant, but Gunther ensures that Portugal remains relevant.
“We will invest what is needed and what we think is right to continue doing what we are good at: making cars in Portugal,” he assured.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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