Germany’s car market grew 5.7% this year. Volkswagen just agreed to cut 100,000 jobs and warned its 2026 profit margin could fall to just 1%. Something doesn’t add up, and this video explains why. We break down the paradox at the heart of the German auto industry right now: overall registrations are climbing, EV production is up, and Chinese brands like BYD are posting record gains in the German market, while the country’s biggest automaker is in crisis mode. Volkswagen, Porsche, Audi, and Continental have all announced job cuts in the past year, and IG Metall workers have taken to the streets in protest. We dig into what’s actually happening beneath the headline numbers, why Germany’s “national champion” carmakers are losing ground even as the wider market recovers, and what it means for the future of European manufacturing.
