VW to decide by early February on new Trinity plant

BERLIN — Volkswagen will decide by late January or early February whether it needs a new factory to build its Trinity self-driving flagship cars, brand chief Thomas Schaefer said.

The Trinity model is 1.5 to 2 years behind schedule, Schaefer said, speaking to Wolfsburger Allgemeine Zeitung and Wolfsburger Nachrichten.

The model was delayed in part because it was taking longer than expected to develop hands-free autonomous driving technology and get regulatory approval.

By the time it is ready, production of some combustion engine cars may have already ended in the main Wolfsburg plant, creating space to build the Trinity there instead of investing in a new factory, Schaefer said.

“Will Trinity come? Yes. Whether a new plant will be built is another question,” he said.

Schaefer’s comments are the first public explanation of why the factory may not be built. “The chances are 50:50,” he said. “By late January, early February we will know which cars will be made in which plants on what platforms,”

Earlier, Automotive News Europe sister publication Automobilwoche reported that the Trinity production car likely will have crossover styling instead of the sedan design originally planned.

VW’s new leadership team of VW Group CEO Oliver Blume and Schafer has ditched the sedan design in favor of crossover styling because of the popularity of SUVs and crossovers, sources told Automobilwoche. The original, low-slung sedan shape was planned to make the car aerodynamic and improve its driving range by more than 20 km to 600 km.

As part of a strategic review, Blume is reviewing whether to build the Trinity plant or to use the existing Wolfsburg plant, according to reports. Construction of the new factory was due to start next year, with the first Trinity models rolling off the production line from 2026.

Automobilwoche contributed to this report