Volkswagen has postponed the decision on gigafactory. Because of energy prices

“The Volkswagen Group is not under pressure to act immediately. In the context of the current situation, more time will be spent on decision-making. Reasons include the current economic situation, current energy prices and framework conditions, including the state support,” Volkswagen said in a statement provided by Škoda Auto spokesman Pavel Jína. He added that some local issues also need to be resolved.

According to him, the postponement of the decision has no impact on the planned start of construction or production at the moment. “Volkswagen Group and its subsidiary PowerCo, responsible for batteries, are continuously evaluating suitable locations for additional gigafactories in Europe. No decision has been made yet, the evaluation process continues. Before investing billions of euros, in the coming weeks and months plans for individual regions will be carefully evaluated,” Jína said, adding that the steps taken so far ensure that battery supplies are covered until 2028.

The investor chooses between three positions. In addition to the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary are also in the game.

If Volkswagen chooses the country, a gigafactory will be created on the land of the Líně military airport, which will disappear because of it. The giant factory for the production of electric car batteries is supported by the government for 120 billion crowns. He described the project as a strategic investment for the Czech economy, which depends on the automotive industry.

The factory is expected to employ up to four thousand people, mostly highly skilled positions. Another thousand or so workers would be in downstream supply services. However, pilots, flying club representatives, residents of surrounding villages and their mayors oppose the plan.

They repeatedly point out that an impact study has not yet been commissioned, taking into account the impact on transport, the environment, the educational and social systems. “If Volkswagen really postpones the decision, we are afraid that the matter will drag on in the complex. At the same time, there is a greater risk that the factory will grow there, because there is an important moment for its preparation. On the other hand , it is an opportunity to reduce the planned industrial zone to two hundred hectares, which would be a victory for us,” commented the mayor of Dobřan, Martin Sobotka (Aktivní Dobřany).