| Foundation stone laid for the expansion of the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles plant in Września | ||
| “The future of light commercial vehicles is electric. The new eCrafter represents another milestone for our brand and strengthens our position on the European market,” said Stefan Mecha, CEO of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, during the ceremony at the plant.
The expansion includes the construction of two state-of-the-art production halls with a total area of around 60,000 square metres on the plant premises. In the future, one hall will house the platform manufacturing facilities for the new eCrafter’s chassis, with support from 150 new robots for welding, bonding and assembly processes. The second hall will serve as a battery storage and logistics area and will be equipped with charging stations for electric trucks as well as an AI-supported camera system for battery monitoring. The expansion of the production halls will be completed during 2027. “These are good news for the Polish economy,” says Deputy Minister Tomasz Lewandowski from the Ministry of Development and Technology. “Volkswagen Poznań is the largest employer in the region and sources most of its vehicle components from our country. We greatly appreciate this commitment – it relies on modern technologies and strengthens the competitiveness of our economy. That is exactly what we are witnessing at the Września plant.” Electrification secures jobs “The plant in Września has been synonymous with progress, sustainable development and innovation for almost ten years. The expansion will see two new halls being created that will further strengthen our competitiveness and continue to offer our employees secure jobs in the future”, explained Stefanie Hegels, Chair of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Poznań. Sustainable: 18.3-megawatt photovoltaic farm The Crafter plant is already a pioneer in sustainable production today: one of Europe’s largest in-house photovoltaic systems (18.3 megawatts) covers the Września plant’s entire power requirements on sunny days. Heat recovery, waste recycling and a more than 40 per cent reduction in water consumption per vehicle compared to 2018 are now standard. During the laying of the foundation stone, a symbolic time capsule was placed into the foundation, containing items such as a model of the current Crafter, current editions of local newspapers and other memorabilia. Representatives from politics, business and the church participated in the ceremony, underlining the importance of the project for the region. The employee representatives also highlighted the importance of the expansion for employees: “Production of the new generation of the eCrafter means skills development and employment stability. This is a clear signal that the future of jobs in the plant is secure,” said Piotr Olbryś, Chair of the trade union Solidarność.
Września plant – key figures & capacities · Total area: 220 ha · Building area: 326,000 m² · Employees: approx. 3,000 · Production: around 450 vehicles/day · Models produced: Volkswagen Crafter (including the Grand California) and MAN TGE · Production record: 2024 with almost 103,000 vehicles · Milestones: o 2014 Site is approved & foundation stone laid o 2016 Plant opens o 2025 Solar farm (18.3 MW, 31,000 modules, 27 ha) is completed
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