[ferro-alloys.com]Volkswagen is restarting car production Thursday at its Zwickau plant in Germany, the auto manufacturer said.

The plant is VW's first vehicle plant in Germany to resume production following the stoppage that began in mid-March in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

"Production of the all-electric ID.3 resumes today [Thursday], initially with reduced capacity and significantly slower cycle times," VW said in a statement.

Numerous additional measures to protect the health of the workforce are being implemented, and the restart "is also oriented to the gradual stabilization of international supply chains," the company added.

In the first ramp-up phase, 50 of the ID.3 will be produced a day in Zwickau at reduced speed, corresponding to around one-third of the production volume before the pandemic.

Some units at VW's components plants have already restarted the supply of parts, while production has also already resumed at almost all the company's plants in China, it said.

In Germany, VW's Chemnitz engine plant also began gradually ramping up production Thursday. This is due to be followed by the phased resumption of Golf Variant production at Zwickau on April 27, while on the same day, the Glaeserne Manufaktur Dresden is scheduled to restart production of the e-Golf at reduced capacity.

Customers have been able to collect their new cars in Dresden since April 20, VW said.

(S&P Global Platts)

• [Editor:王可]