Volkswagen Group plans to invest €160 billion ($186 billion) through 2030, Chief Executive Oliver Blume said, underscoring a tightening of spending as Europe’s largest carmaker faces mounting pressure in its two most important overseas markets, China and the United States.
The updated figure reflects a continued scaling back of capital deployment. Volkswagen had outlined €165 billion for the 2025–2029 period and €180 billion for 2024–2028, with 2024 previously described as a peak investment year. The adjustment comes as the automaker grapples with higher trade barriers in the United States and intensifying competition in China, both of which have weighed on profitability.
See also: EU Reviews Possible Tariff Exemption for Volkswagen China-Built EVs, Commission Says
Blume told the weekly Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung that the revised spending plan would concentrate on strengthening the group’s core base. “The focus in the latest spending plan was on Germany and Europe,” he said, pointing to investment priorities in products, technology and infrastructure.
Volkswagen, which owns brands including Porsche and Audi, has been particularly affected by weaker performance at Porsche, which sells roughly half of its vehicles in the Chinese and U.S. markets combined. Blume said prospects for Porsche in China were limited but left open the possibility of further localisation across the broader Volkswagen Group. He added that producing a Porsche model specifically for the Chinese market could make sense in the future.
See also: Volkswagen Confirms Plan to Turn Dresden Transparent Factory Into Innovation Campus
On the United States, Blume said any potential decision to build an Audi plant there would depend on whether Washington offers substantial financial support. Volkswagen is currently assessing the impact of U.S. tariffs on imported vehicles as it weighs its longer-term manufacturing strategy.