Audi is forced to apply for a reduction in working hours for 10,000 employees. That does not have anything to do with the corona virus, but of course everything to do with the ongoing chip shortage.
The German Handelsblatt reports that Audi is significantly reducing production in its main factories in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm due to that chip shortage. In these locations, production lines are simply shut down due to the shortage of parts. That would mean a temporary transition to part-time work for about 10,000 employees.
Fewer sedans, coupes and station wagons
In Ingolstadt it concerns production lines for the A3, A4 and A5. No specific models are mentioned for Neckarsulm, some 200 km to the west. We do know that the A4 sedan, A5 convertible, A6, A7 and A8 are being built there. It therefore seems that Audi is still sparing the SUVs, which is of course not a surprising move given the worldwide popularity of those models.
Audi is suspending the production lines for the month of May, Handeslblatt reports. What will happen next, however, is extremely uncertain, because everything indicates that the chip shortage will remain for some time to come.