As in Wolfsburg, Georg Schoske initially worked in vehicle construction in Salzgitter. With a small team, he repaired tools and machinery for the production of the front-wheel drive K70, which is regarded as one of the bridging links between the rear-wheel drive Beetle and the Golf, which is also front-wheel driven. “Those were good times. We had a lot of work. But we were also well paid, and we were able to make progress,” reports Georg Schoske.
Five years later, the work for Schoske changed – and for the entire plant, which, after the successful launch of the Golf in Wolfsburg, discontinued vehicle assembly and specialized in engine production. “That was not easy for us. Some colleagues left the company and started working for other companies. I stayed and have no regrets.”
Today, the Salzgitter location is again undergoing profound changes, as the plant is undergoing a transformation towards electromobility. In addition to manufacturing state-of-the-art combustion engines, it specializes in the production of the rotor and stator, two elementary components of the electric drive. Volkswagen is also bringing together the development, testing and pilot production of the battery cell in Salzgitter: At the Center of Excellence, some 300 experts develop innovative production processes for lithium-ion batteries, among other things. From 2024, a joint battery cell factory is to go into operation in Salzgitter with the Swedish company Northvolt AB.