6,000 Audi workers protest Neckarsulm plant closure plans

Approximately 6,000 Audi employees gathered outside the company's Neckarsulm plant in southwest Germany on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in one of the largest labor protests in the German auto industry this year. The demonstration demanded clarity from parent company Volkswagen Group over the future of the major production site, which is under review for potential closure after 2030.

The protest coincided with an announcement of job cuts by rival BMW, underscoring the broader pressures facing Germany's automotive sector. Workers at the Neckarsulm facility, which employs roughly 15,500 people and built over 181,000 vehicles in 2025, are seeking firm commitments from management. The plant produces Audi's A5, A6, and A8 sedans alongside the electric e-tron GT.

The uncertainty stems from an internal memo from Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume earlier this year, which named the Neckarsulm plant alongside facilities in Emden, Hanover, and Zwickau as sites for which the company "cannot confirm competitive use cases for" beyond 2030. This statement has become the focal point of the dispute, placing the factory's long-term viability in doubt.

While a job security pact for German Audi sites...