For all its talk of radical change, Volkswagen's cost-cutting deal in Germany relies heavily on the automaker's tradition of cooperation between managers and workers, according to details disclosed by company sources.

The European Union’s largest economy, Germany, is experiencing a deindustrialisation trend due to factors such as high energy costs, unhelpful government policies and investment shortfalls. The country’s fading industrial competitiveness isn’t likely to improve soon,

Volkswagen is prepared to let Chinese electric carmakers take over production lines in its struggling factories as Germany’s automotive industry is struck by a downturn.

The country is focused on exports, but China is slowing imports and U.S. tariff threats are growing. Politicians are offering few alternatives.

The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, has built its post-Cold War economy in the same way Germany did post-reunification: with a focus on industry. Manufacturing as a share of GDP has hovered above 20% in the country for the last 30 years, joining Germany in bucking the Western trend of deindustrialization.

BERLIN (Reuters) - For all its talk of radical change, Volkswagen's cost-cutting deal in Germany relies heavily on the automaker's tradition of cooperation between managers and workers ...

Volkswagen ( OTCPK:VLKAF) ( OTCPK:VWAGY) has discussed with Chinese partners such as SAIC, FAW Group, JAC Motors, and XPeng ( NYSE: XPEV) the possibility of the companies investing in plants in Germany, according to Chief Executive Oliver Blume.

In the early 2000s, the complaints were similar...We missed that underneath the surface many things were changing,” says Jens Ulbrich, chief economist at the Bundesbank, Germany’s central bank. Back then,

Volkswagen is exploring the possibility of sharing its excess production lines in Europe with Chinese EV makers.

The German economy is in deep crisis, with gross domestic product likely to contract 0.1% this year, the BDI industry association said on Tuesday, putting it on track for three years of declining growth for the first time since reunification.

Electric vehicle sales in Europe will accelerate in 2025 mainly thanks to a German recovery, but EU mandated targets for 2030 look hopelessly optimistic.