Volkswagen's board has approved a restructuring plan that will cut a total of 100,000 jobs by 2030, up from the 50,000 previously agreed, as the German carmaker seeks to counter falling sales in China, US tariffs and competition from Chinese rivals. The company, which owns Audi, Porsche, Skoda and Seat alongside its core VW brand, described the overhaul as the most extensive transformation in its 89-year history, and it comes as part of a "Future Plan" negotiated with unions and the state of Lower Saxony to avert industrial unrest after protests broke out at German factories in July.

Volkswagen, which employs around 660,000 people worldwide, plans to halve its vehicle line-up by 2030 and increase production volumes per model to cut costs, while also expanding platform-sharing across its brands. Four German plants — Emden, Zwickau, Hanover and Neckarsulm — will not receive new models unless costs are reduced, raising the prospect of closures, and reports suggest the 76-year-old Seat brand could be phased out by the end of 2029, with its sportier Cupra spin-off retained as VW's flagship Spanish marque after outselling Seat in the first half of 2026.