VW to Idle Wolfsburg Plant in Switch to New Emission Test

Volkswagen AG has alerted workers at its main factory in Wolfsburg that the facility will face temporary shutdowns this summer as it switching to making vehicles that satisfy new emission test standards.

The new worldwide harmonized light vehicle test procedure (WLTP) will take effect on Sept. 1. The company says the VW brand alone must evaluate more than 200 models to ensure they will pass the new test. The Wolfsburg complex makes Golf hatchbacks, Tiguan crossover vehicles and Touran minivans.

The WLTP generates higher carbon dioxide emission readings than the old NEDC protocol. That could result in lower fuel economy ratings and push certain models into higher CO₂ emission tax brackets, Reuters notes.

VW hasn’t indicated how long the changeover will take. The company plans to warehouse some current-standard vehicles to avoid running short of inventory during the overhaul. But VW also is telling workers it will idle production for periods through the end of September before launching output of WLTP-compliant vehicles.

VW works council chief Bernd Osterloh complains that workers shouldn’t be penalized with shorter hours just because management failed to prepare adequately to handle the test volume demanded by the changeover.