VW Commercial Vehicles expands plant in Poland for next e-Crafter
The foundation stone for the new halls is scheduled to be laid in November 2025, with completion planned for 2027, according to the company. The Września plant is officially operated by Volkswagen Poznań and will celebrate its tenth anniversary in 2026. The VW Crafter van and its sister model, the MAN TGE, are manufactured there, as are their electric versions, the eCrafter and eTGE. The smaller VW Caddy (without an MAN counterpart) is also manufactured there.
According to its own statements, Volkswagen Poznań has all the necessary approvals to begin the expansion of the plant, so nothing should stand in the way of the foundation stone being laid next month. “The Września plant is one of the most modern facilities in the Volkswagen Group and the only location where we produce both the Crafter and the MAN TGE,” says Stefan Mecha, CEO of the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brand. “Expanding production for the next generation of our all-electric Crafter is the next logical step in electrifying our lineup. This new electric generation will further strengthen our position in the commercial vehicle segment.”
According to Stefanie Hegels, CEO of Volkswagen Poznań, a “modern body shop and a battery warehouse will be built, tailored to the production requirements of the new generation of the electric Crafter.” However, the company has not disclosed how large the two new buildings will be. It is also unclear what production capacity the facilities for the new electric transporters will be designed for. Only the total area of the plant, which is around 220 hectares (comparable to the size of 300 football pitches), the number of around 9,000 employees and the highly automated production with over 1,300 robots are mentioned – but it is not specified how these figures will change with the newly announced expansion.
Piotr Olbryś, chairman of the Solidarność trade union at Volkswagen Poznań, sees the decision as a “clear signal to our employees.” “The production of next-generation electric vehicles is a vital step in developing competencies that will help secure jobs in the future,” said the trade unionist.
According to VW Commercial Vehicles, production in Września is powered exclusively by green energy. A photovoltaic system with a capacity of 18.3 MW is installed on the site, covering around 25 per cent of the plant’s annual electricity requirements. In good weather conditions, the PV system can even supply the plant entirely.
This article was first published by Sebastian Schaal for electrive’s German edition.
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