Volkswagen Zwickau: New Line Will Take Apart 4,100 Old Cars a Year
Volkswagen has opened a dismantling and recycling line for old cars at its Zwickau plant in Saxony, the factory that builds its electric cars. After a nine-month conversion and approval phase, regular operation starts in 2027, electrive reported on 29 October.
Key takeaways
- About 4,100 cars a year will be taken apart on an eight-stage line, in two shifts.
- 100 new jobs at first; up to 1,000 jobs in the circular economy unit in the long run.
- Used engines, gearboxes, doors and bumpers will be refurbished and sold as spare parts.
- Plastics are separated by type and reused in new parts.
How the line works
The Zwickau site becomes Volkswagen's central competence centre for the circular economy. It will handle both pre-series cars and end-of-life vehicles. Every car passes through eight dismantling stations, and the work is split into two value streams.
The first is spare parts. Components such as engines, gearboxes, doors and bumpers are removed, checked, refurbished and then sold through dealers and independent workshops. The aim is cheaper repairs for older cars.
The second is raw materials. These are recovered as cleanly as possible so that they can go back into production. Plastics, for example, are sorted by type during dismantling and turned into secondary raw material. New parts cannot be made entirely from recycled plastic, so it is mixed with new material. According to Volkswagen, the plastic from one old car could in theory meet the recycled-content requirement for three new cars.
Built on an old production hall
Volkswagen used 94 tonnes of steel across 1,200 square metres for the line, and the floor was given a new coating so that raw and residual materials can be stored safely. To keep costs down, some existing equipment from earlier car production was reused. "The team at the Zwickau site is tackling the task with determination," said Danny Auerswald, spokesperson for the management board of Volkswagen Sachsen.
The jobs are part of a collective agreement from December 2024, which allows up to 1,000 posts in the new business unit over time.
Why carmakers are doing this
From 2032, EU rules will require a minimum share of recycled material in new cars. Volkswagen also plans a Europe-wide partner network for the circular economy, to meet stricter recycling rules, lower material costs and reduce its dependence on imported raw materials. Battery recycling is not part of the Zwickau line, according to the report.
What it means for you
If you drive an older Volkswagen, refurbished original parts from Zwickau could make repairs cheaper, both at dealers and at independent garages. For new car buyers the effect is long term: recycled content will become a legal requirement in the next decade, and carmakers that prepare early may avoid passing higher material costs on to customers.
Browse the Volkswagen catalogue or read our guide to the Zwickau-built Volkswagen ID.3.
Sources
- electrive: Vehicle recycling at VW: dismantling line opens in Zwickau (29 Oct 2026) (accessed 30 Oct 2026)
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