The Cupra Tavascan, built in China and exported to Europe, recently received a tariff exemption because it mostly uses European technology.
Other VW models likely won't get the same treatment.
Current EU countervailing duties on Chinese-built EVs vary: SAIC faces 35%, BYD 17%, and Tesla just under 8%, on top of the standard import tariff.
Building these vehicles in Europe would avoid those tariffs.
Unnamed sources point to VW's plant in Zwickau as a possible assembly location, though nothing is final.
Local production would boost utilization rates at German factories, and employee representatives are reportedly open to evaluating additional China-developed models, provided they supplement—not replace—existing commitments.
Internal Opposition
Not all VW executives are on board.
According to a company insider, CFO Arno Antlitz has warned against “building vehicles from completely unrelated competitors in China and then branding these vehicles with the Volkswagen quality image.”
>>> Vatican Excommunicates Traditionalist Catholic Group Over Unauthorized Ordinations
While CEO Oliver Blume supports the idea, the internal divide highlights the strategic tension VW faces as it navigates cost pressures and trade barriers.
