Audi and Volkswagen announced that they are going to temporarily halt their Hybrid model sales as the Russia-Ukrain conflict continues. Analysts have predicted earlier that such drastic steps will be taken by automakers. Volkswagen is one of the first manufacturers to announce a war-related problem and conformed that its plug-in hybrid models will be temporarily halted.
According to Automotive News Europe which quotes Automobilwoche, VW announced that it was no longer taking orders for the plug-in hybrid versions of the Golf, Passat, Arteon, Tiguan, and Touareg. It even said that there’s a good chance some people who had already put their order for one of these vehicles in may not take delivery of it by the end of 2022. Delivery times for some VWs were already close to a year-long, in part due to the ongoing semiconductor shortage that was already plaguing the industry. And even though neither Russia nor Ukraine were major markets for the automaker, they are a source for many raw materials and they also manufacture some necessary components.
Also, Audi will stop taking orders for some of its plug-in hybrids after March 10, since it plans to pause production of A4, A5, A6, and A7 PHEVs. Porsche has also announced production pauses all throughout march and other group brands will surely announce similar moves soon if they haven’t done so already. Volkswagen also announced that it was stopping all production (as well as sales) in Russia and it idled many of its main plants in Germany and other European locations as well. Other German manufacturers, like BMW and Mercedes-Benz also applied similar measures, after previously announcing they were leaving the Russian market not long after the Ukraine crisis began.
Alongside, production at VW’s Zwickau plant, where EVs under several brands are built (VW, Audi, Cupra) is also being idled until March 18. No cars are currently being made at VW’s home factory in Wolfsburg either – that’s where the Golf, Tiguan, and Touran models are made. Further issues arising from impacted supply chains are expected in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, companies including Ford and Skoda have committed to supporting Ukrainian workers affected by the war. Aston Martin has announced it will pause sales of cars to Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. Both countries are small markets for the British firm, accounting for less than 1% of its overall sales in 2021. Furthermore, BMW has stopped production of BMW and Mini vehicles in several factories around Europe, because parts can’t be delivered from Ukraine.
