car factory tour europe

GERMANY AUTO FACTORY TOURS

BUILD YOUR OWN DREAM VACATION

[email protected]

+49 176 5763 9784

Start Your Next Adventure with Germany Auto Factory Tours

About Our Services

Germany has some of the best auto factories in the world. Our 8-day/7-night Auto Tour of Germany will include the Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche factories & museums. Our 10-day/9-night tour includes The Volkswagen factory and museum with a visit to the Nürburgring Track.

We offer small private escorted factory tours in our autos and mini-buses which consist of Audi, BMW, Mercedes, and Volkswagen. All vacations include rooms, tour fees, airport service, with breakfast & dinner each day. Our vacations are unique in that we offer free alcoholic & non-alcoholic beverages with European snacks as you travel from city to city.

English Language

Our vacations are offered in the English language. The tours are conducted by one of our tour directors who will take care of all services from beginning to the end of your vacation. This includes hotels, tours, transportation, transfers to and from the airport/hotel with most meals.

Travel Germany!

Come explore the most picturesque parts of Germany while enjoying the auto factories and museums at a relaxed pace. Join us as you wander through medieval towns, cobblestone streets, travel through beautiful mountains, see fairytale castles, and savor great food, beer and wine in local taverns and beer gardens.

Escorted Auto Factory Tours

Are you ready to experience moments that will last a lifetime? Get in touch with Germany Auto Factory Tours to learn about our 8-day/7-night Escorted Auto Factory Tour Vacations. We are excited to set you off on one of the best trips of your life. Get ready to create some unforgettable memories!

Highlights: Audi Factory, Neckarsulm Audi Factory & Museum, Ingolstadt BMW Factory & Museum, Munich Mercedes-Benz Factory & Museum, Stuttgart Porsche Factory & Museum, Stuttgart Volkswagen Factory & Museum, Wolfsburg (Volkswagen Tour  only offered with optional 10-day tour)   Prices start at: Adults / $3,995* Students (ages 6-12) / $1,995 Children 5 and under / Free *Based on Double Occ upancy Single r oom supplement: $750 Children under the age of 12 are required to share a room with an accompanying adult. There is a maximum of 2 children with 2 adults. Privately escorted tours are available upon request. Reserve Today!

Build your own dream vacation.

Wright Europe can provide you with a European Vacation that can be customized to your wishes.

We can customize an itinerary just for you and will work with you on every aspect to make your trip the vacation of a lifetime!

Decide which Auto Factories and attractions you would like to see.

We will build your own European Vacation that will fit your dreams.

Castle Tours

Brewery Tours

Merseburger Str, Wünsch, 06255, DE

Your details were sent successfully!

Stay up to date

8 of the Best Factory Tours in Germany

Go behind the scenes of Germany’s most famous exports and find out how German cars , chocolate, and beer are made. Many factories in Germany open their doors to curious visitors and offer them a look at how their products are built, brewed, and sewed - from start to finish.

Before you go on a factory tour in Germany, make sure to call ahead or check their website and ask about reservations and tours in English. And don’t forget to check out the factory stores afterward for some great deals.

BMW Car Factory Munich

Chira Chirakijja / TripSavvy

For BMW fans, Munich offers no less than three points of interest, all in walking distance from each other:

The BMW Museum - Traces back the history of the famous car.

BMW World - An architectural masterpiece which is the delivery center for BMWs and also houses exhibition halls, design ateliers, and workshops for kids.

BMW plant - Offers fascinating tours: Put on your safety goggles and factory coats and watch how giant conveyors lift the 3-series BMW to be welded by computer-controlled robots.

• Where : Petuelring 130, 80809 Munich

Haribo Gummy Factory

Eckhard Henkel/Wikimedia Commons /CC BY-SA 3.0

The most famous gummy bears in the world come from Germany. Haribo Goldbären (gold bears) were born in 1920 in Bonn in West Germany .

Today, Haribo is the largest manufacturer of gummy sweets on the globe. Although you can’t enter the factory itself, you can visit the Haribo factory store, close to the original factory, which features an exhibition about Haribo and offers a wonderful variety of gummy bears for sweet prices.

•   Where : Am Neutor 3, 53113 Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Erdinger Brewery Munich

The world's largest brewer of wheat beer is located close to Munich and combines tradition and modern technology. At the Erdinger Brewery, the purest ingredients with age-old recipes make their way through a high-tech bottling plant.

On your tour, you will watch the brewing process from start to finish, explore the fermentation and filtration cellars, visit the computer-controlled warehouse, and learn how the beer is loaded and shipped around the world. More than one million bottles leave this brewery every day, but you can enjoy your fresh Hefeweizen in the brewery's beer garden.

• Where : Franz-Brombach-Str. 1-20, 85435 Erding

Chocolate Museum Cologne

Cologne ’s Chocolate Museum is home to a glass chocolate factory, where visitors of all ages can see how the cocoa bean turns into a chocolate bar. The machines in the small chocolate factory all have viewing windows, so you can get a detailed look at the individual production steps.

The exhibition tells you all about the rich history of chocolate, from the Mayan’s chocolate “drink of the gods” to today's commercials. If all this talk about chocolate made your mouth water, head to the 10-feet high chocolate fountain. The museum staff will be happy to dip a stick of waffle into the warm chocolate to give you a try.

Where : Am Schokoladenmuseum 1A, 50678 Cologne

Meissen Porcelain Factory

TripSavvy / Christopher Larson

300 years ago, Europe’s first porcelain was discovered in Meissen, close to Dresden . Today, Meissen porcelain ( Staatliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Meissen ) with its signature trademark, the crossed swords, is one of the most famous china manufacturers in the world.

You can tour various workshops that demonstrate the process of making the fine Meissen china by hand, from the modeling to the painting. There is also a museum, which holds a collection of 20,000 pieces from all periods, and an outlet store where you can hunt for some bargains.

• Where : Talstraße 9, 01662 Meissen

VW Factory and Autostadt Wolfsburg

Once again its cars - it is Germany after all. And the Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg is just one hour away from Berlin and prides itself on being the largest auto plant in the world. There is a huge car museum, several pavilions dedicated to the various VW cars, driving courses for adults and kids, restaurants, a hotel, and of course the factory itself, which you can tour.

Another highlight: Embark on a glass elevator which takes you to the top of the 160 feet high glass Car Tower. They hold up to 800 custom-ordered cars, which are picked up by their buyers fresh from the factory.

Its adjacent “Autostadt” (car city) is a theme park dedicated to the automobile and offers everything car enthusiasts of all ages dream about.

Where : Stadtbrücke, 38440 Wolfsburg

Steiff Factory and Museum

Kids and collectors all over the world love the German Steiff plush toys with their signature “button in ear”. Created in 1880 by the German seamstress Margarete Steiff, the plush animals are made only out of the finest materials, such as felt, mohair, or alpaca.

You can visit the birthplace of the famous toys, Giengen, 90 miles west of Munich. After stopping by the largest Steiff shop in the world, make sure to check out the interactive toy museum and the workshops where the plush toys are still created by hand.

Where : Margarete-Steiff Platz 1, 89537 Giengen an der Brenz

Jagermeister Factory Tour

Not just fit for Frat boys, discover the German liquor of Jagermeister with a visit to its headquarters in Wolfenbuttel (about 200 km west of Berlin).

Tours are 1.5 hour and while you won't find out all the secret ingredients (there are 56!), English or German guides take visitors through production, into the herb cellar and through a tasting.

Where : Wolfenbuettel, Germany

Car Lover's Guide to Germany

Germany Guide: Planning Your Trip

Where to Go With Kids in Germany

Festivals in Germany in July

The Top 23 Things to Do in Munich

15 Fun Things to Do in Dusseldorf, Germany

The Best UNESCO Sites in Germany

The Top January Festivals in Germany

Events in Germany in February

New Year's Celebrations in Germany: The Complete Guide

Germany's 500-Year-Old Beer Purity Law

As Seen on Screen: The Hunger Games - Mockingjay Movie Locations

Regensburg: Planning Your Trip

The 7 Best Islands to Visit in Germany

The Top 11 Things to Do in Stuttgart, Germany

The Best Time to Visit Cologne

Matador Original Series

Why You Should Take a Factory Tour on Your Next Trip to Europe. Yes, a Factory Tour.

T here’s something about seeing age-old traditional crafts being made and learning about the people who choose to keep these skills alive. But it can be equally interesting – and arguably even more valuable – to know how the things we use every day are made.

Touring the facilities that produce the clothes we wear and the cars we drive helps us not only appreciate those things on a deeper level, but also to make better choices as consumers. It also turns out that these modern factories can be as important to a place as leather is to Florence . Portugal has been producing textiles since the 18th century, after all, and can you really imagine Stuttgart without Porsche?

Factory tours are also a lesson in ultimate efficiency. Until I toured Volvo’s factory outside of Gothenburg, Sweden, I didn’t think about the fact that wooden blocks are more comfortable to stand on than concrete and wood absorbs oil stains better.

That kind of direct look serves both the companies and the viewers: by showing you their sustainable and worker-oriented credentials, companies get to burnish their brand. By having you there watching it, companies are also under more pressure to really walk the walk. So go ahead and book a factor tour (and you really do need to book these tours in advance) the next time you’re in Europe to see how things are made.

1. Porsche factory tour in Stuttgart, Germany

Photo: Preisler Shutterstock

In the Zuffenhausen area of Stuttgart, Porsche offers factory tours that include a visit to The Porsche Museum , which has nearly 100 beautiful vehicles to drool over. The museum entrance fee is 10€ (about $10) and 5€ for students, kids, and seniors.

The tour allows you to “accompany a sports car through production and experience the perfect symbiosis of tradition and modernity,” says Frank Wiesmann, a product communications manager of Porsche North America.

His wording might sound corporate, but Porsche has in fact been making luxury and race cars since 1948, so they do hew to values of craftsmanship and quality. Porsche cars are also some of the world’s most innovative, and the factory is a good place to see all that come together.

“Visitors are typically fascinated by the experience,” Wiesmann says, particularly when the car’s “body is connected to the drivetrain and chassis.” The tour gives some insight into “Porsche Production 4.0,” a method of building cars that he says is “smart, lean and green.”

You can go even greener and get a tour of the fully electric Porsche Taycan’s assembly and painting process. You’ll start at the Porsche Museum foyer and take a bus to your destination. The two-hour tours are €15 per adult, with €6 for 14-18 year-olds and free under 14. Children under eight aren’t permitted on the tours.

2. Porsche factory tour and drive in Leipzig, Germany

Photo: XRISTOFOROV Shutterstock

Porsche manufactures its Panamera and Macan models in Leipzig in eastern Germany. You can see the whole production process there and, just as in Stuttgart, be amazed by the sophisticated robotic machinery, the places where the human touch is still essential, and other elements of putting together a car that you just haven’t seen before. The 90-minute tour is for people aged 14 and up and costs €12.

The real reason to go out to Leipzig for the tour though is the part that comes afterward, if you’re willing to pay the money: You can ride “co-pilot” in a Panamera or in a GT3 Cup race car driven by a professional driver in a private track. (Helmets are obligatory for the GT3 Cup drives). The cost is €110 for the Panamera and €250 for the GT3 Cup. Coupled with the factory tour, the whole experience takes three hours.

3. Getzer textile factory tour in Bludenz, Austria

The Getzer Textile Factory was founded more than two hundred years ago in Bludenz, Austria. Today, Getzer says it’s a leading maker of “dressmaking damasks, fashion fabrics, and technical textiles.” For the consumer, the point of visiting a factory like this is to see a textile making process that is actually Earth friendly.

Getzer has received a bluesign certificate since 2006 for its shirt fabrics, damasks, and corporate apparel – and the company goes through recertification every three years. The bluesign idea of producing fabrics with the lowest environmental impact was conceived in Switzerland in 1997 and outdoor-wear companies like Mammut are bluesign certified. For Getzer, the means the fibers, chemicals, and dyes it uses meet strict ecological standards.

Contact the company directly , at least two months ahead of time, to have them organize a walking tour of the factory that lasts between 90 minutes and two hours. You’ll visit the weaving preparation area, the weaving mill, the finishing area, and the dying mill.

4. BMW factory tour in Munich, Germany

Photo: classic topcar Shutterstock

There’s plenty of things to see in Munich, one of Matador’s favorite second cities in Europe – among them excellent museums, sprawling castles, and, in summer, welcoming beer gardens. While you’re there, you should add in a visit to the BMW factory , which has been churning out world-class cars for over a century. You can combine the tour with the visit to the 534,000-square-foot BMW Museum, which costs €10 for adults and €7 for seniors, students, and youth. Among its stunning collection of new and classic cars is one used in a James Bond film.

The factory tour itself, which is only for ages six and up, lasts 90 minutes and costs €14 for adults and €11 for students, seniors, and youth. While the Porsche tour is on a bus, the BMW tour has you walking. The nice part about that is you can get really close in some places, and spend longer in certain spots. But be prepared to walk almost two miles.

5. Volvo factory tour in Göthenburg, Sweden

Göthenburg is another visit-worthy second city, with opulent 17th and 18th century architecture, bustling cobbled streets, and inviting cafes to duck into when the weather invariably gets cold. Just outside town, Volvo has been making cars since 1927.

Today, the Volvo factory is an interesting place to see Nordic values at work. It is also surprisingly quiet in the factory. Note that factory tours are also not available over the summer months.

Starting in 2015, Volvo extended its eco-commitment to the cars themselves when it launched its first hybrid. It now plans to build only electric cars by 2030, phasing out all cars with internal combustion engines. You can see all of this in process for SEK 125 ($12) on a factory tour that you take on a little cart. Because you’re on the cart, you can’t linger long in any one area, but seeing huge slabs of steel become finished cars by the time your tour ends is very memorable.

6. ISTO organic clothing factory tours in northern Portugal

The organic clothing manufacturer ISTO touts the transparency of its sustainable products and the production process itself. It endeavors to back it up with free tours of not just one factory, but of many of the suppliers it works with in northern Portugal from the cities of Braga and Porto to Benedita and Serra da Estrela. It calls the effort “Factourism.”

Unlike automotive factory tours, ISTO tours don’t happen on a regular basis. You’ll have to register to participate in a tour when they are open to the public. Because ISTO is committed to working with independent operators it can trust, some of the factories you’ll see will in fact feel like artisan workshops. The family-owned NGS MALHAS has only 25 employees and makes top-quality jersey fabric, whereas the family-owned MODCOM has even fewer workers who sew lightweight jackets and other linen apparel for ISTO.

The ISTO tour will take you through more sizable factory floors as well. The Label Factory ETILABEL has 180 employees and they just make labels. But they are OEKO-TEK certified, which is why ISTO uses them exclusively for their own labels. ISTO also works with knitwear manufacturers like A. Ferreira & Filhos and a leather maker, Olhamar.

More like this

Trending now, everything you need to know before visiting the us olympic museum in colorado springs, spain banned tourists from taking popular tiktok video of the country's most famous building, discover matador, adventure travel, train travel, national parks, beaches and islands, ski and snow.

Wright Europe Travels : Tour, Trips & Vacations

Auto factory tours of germany, escorted 8-day / 7-night, (optional up to a 14-day tour), highlights:, munich sightseeing, audi factory and museum, ingolstadt, audi factory and forum, neckarsulm, bmw factory and museum, munich, porsche factory and museum, stuttgart, mercedes-benz factory and museum, stuttgart, nymphenburg palace & park in munich, optional additions for the extended tour:, berlin sightseeing, nürburgrink track, volkswagen factory and museum, wolfsburg, stiftung volkswagen auto museum, wolfsburg, day 1 / sunday: historical munich / hofbräuhaus.

We will pick you up at the airport in Munich.

Your day begins with a walking tour through the historical city of Munich. You will see top landmarks and discover the stories behind great sights such as The Glockenspiel, The Hofbräuhaus (the world’s most famous beer hall), Frauenkirche, Viktualienmarkt (famous outdoor market), and The Royal Residence. You also see the New and Old Town Hall, The National Theater, The Feldherrnhalle (Memorial to Bavarian Generals), St. Jakobsplatz, and The Church of St. Peter. You will learn the real origins of Oktoberfest and the history of beer gardens in Germany.

After a day of touring the city, you will have dinner at the world-famous Hofbräuhaus. Later,  you will have free time to shop in the streets of Munich or just relax.

Day 2 / Monday: BMW Factory & Museum - Munich

After breakfast,  you will be part of the 3 1/2 hour Premium Tour and experience the whole world of BMW, with highlights from the BMW Factory, the BMW Museum, and the BMW Welt.  

At the BMW Factory, you can watch how passion and precision come together in the manufacture of each vehicle. The tour through the BMW plant offers an exciting insight into all areas of automobile production from the press shop, body shop, paint shop, engine shop, the production of interior equipment and seats, as well as assembly.

At the BMW Museum, you will be treated to a fascinating and innovative presentation of the BMW company, brand, and product history. Discover the BMW automobiles, motorcycles, and engines that are displayed ranging from over 90 years of BMW history.

The BMW Welt, learn about the impressive facts and fascinating stories of this unique building. This tour covers all the main points of BMW Welt, interesting background information on the building and its special architecture, and how it was created. The BMW Welt Tour also provides a glimpse behind the scenes, explaining the complex logistics of automobile delivery to customers from all over the world.

After the guided tour, you will have free time to walk through the BMW Welt and the museum at your own pace.  You will later enjoy dinner in the evening at a local German restaurant.

Day 3 / Tuesday: Audi Factory (A3, A4, A5, Q5) & Museum - Ingolstadt

After breakfast, you will travel approximately 1 hour to the city of Ingolstadt. Your first tour will be the Audi Factory Tour, experience the entire production process of an Audi up close and personal. The models of the Audi A3, A4, A5, and Q5 with  all RS variants  are produced here. You will find out interesting facts about all European Audi locations as well as the main plant in Ingolstadt. In the press shop, you will feel the pressure produced by the metal-forming tools; in the body shop, you can watch the fascinating ballet performed by welding robots. Learn about bonding technology and witness a “marriage”, when the powertrain and body are joined together during final assembly.

Next, you will tour the Audi Museum, take a journey through time, and visit the century of mobility. The one-hour tour of the museum will acquaint you with the most important facts and vehicles in the Audi Company’s 20th-century history. On this entertaining and informative tour, you’ll learn more about the history of the four rings, divided into the pre-war and post-war eras.

After the guided tours, you will have free time to walk through the museum at your own pace. Later, you will enjoy dinner later in the evening.

Auto Factory Tours of Germany - 8-Day / 7-Night  Tour

Cost:    adults / $3,995*,             students (ages 6-12) / $1,995,             children 5 and under / free.

*Children under the age of 12 are required to share a room with an accompanying adult. There is a maximum of 2 children with 2 adults.

Prices are based on Double Adult Occupancy

Single room supplement of  $750

Private Tour Supplement of up to $1,000 per person depending upon the tour requests and days.

*Due to mandatory vacation and maintenance work in the summer months, some of the factory tours could be unavailable.*

The tour includes:

All ground transportation from flight arrival and departure in munich., tour in private auto/minibus, with transportation to and from all tours and restaurants on the itinerary., all accommodations are in a clean comfortable hotel, bed & breakfast, or country inn. (german 3-5 star standards)., breakfast each morning., dinner each evening with two free drinks (beer, wine, soda, juice, or water only)., free alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages with european snacks are  available  while traveling between cities and tours., entry and tour fees for all sights are mentioned in the itinerary., the tour does not include:, airfare to and from germany., meals other than those indicated in the itinerary., beverages other than those indicated in the itinerary., free time transportation or sightseeing., personal expenses for shopping, etc. , optional tours:, we have handpicked our tours to give you the must-see sites with a relaxed and enjoyable vacation. we understand that some people have different interests than others. we will try to accommodate special requests such as a special tour, a historical site, a river cruise, or just a special dinner. please feel free to contact us..

Day 4 / Wednesday: Mercedes Factory & Museum - Stuttgart

After breakfast,  you will experience the fascinating world of the Mercedes-Benz automobile. The 2-hour guided walking tour of the largest Mercedes-Benz plant in the world gives a detailed insight into the fascinating world of automobile production. The tour begins in the press shop, where the body parts are given their shape, continues with the ballet performance of the robots in the body shop, and ends in the assembly shop, where the bodyshell and powertrain are married together. In the logistics 'supermarket,' you can see how vehicle components are fed to the assembly lines, in part by two driverless transport systems named 'Bertha' and 'Gottlieb'.  

At the museum, with a one-hour guided tour, you will experience the 125-year history with over 160 vehicle exhibits and numerous special exhibition pieces. Gain an overview of the history of the Mercedes with a chronological tour through the Legend halls that takes you on a journey through time, from the dawn of automotive history in 1886 right through to the present day. In addition, you will also travel through a series of theme-based collections spanning various eras, housed in five different Collection halls.  

After the guided tour, you will have free time to walk through the museum at your own pace. Y ou will enjoy dinner later in the evening.  

Day 5 / Thursday: Porsche Factory & Museum - Stuttgart

After breakfast,  you will take two separate 2-hour guided walking tours through the production area will give you a completely new view of our cars. From engine construction, through the upholstery shop to the final assembly of the "marriage", the uniting of the drivetrain and chassis with the body. Stuttgart is the location where the 911, 918, Boxster, Cayman, and fully electric Taycan are produced. You will view the logistics where all the parts are sent down the assembly line. You will walk through the factory, just feet away from the production line.

You will experience a 2-hour walking tour of Porsche‘s first full-electric sports car, the Taycan. You will visit the assembly line of the first full-electric Porsche Taycan and the paint shop. The plant has been producing the Taycan since 2019 and now you can be a part of that production process! ​

Your second walking tour will be the 911/718 where you will visit the assembly line for the Porsche 911 and the 718 Boxster and the 718 Cayman model series. You will see the selected production areas such as vehicle assembly and the upholstery area.

The Porsche Museum Tour, a one-hour tour with more than 80 vehicles and many small exhibits will be on display in a unique ambiance. In addition to world-famous, iconic vehicles such as the 356, 550, 911, and 917, the exhibits include some of the outstanding technical achievements of Professor Ferdinand Porsche from the early 20th century. Here you can choose whether to start with the company history before 1948 or head directly into the main area of the exhibition which represents Porsche's product and motorsport history in chronological order. Both areas are interlinked by the "Porsche Idea" section, which forms the backbone of the exhibition. The new interactive „Porsche Touchwall“ is waiting for the visitors at the end of the museum’s tour. The 12-meter-long installation covers nine decades of exciting automobile history based on 3.000 pictures, drawings, and technical data allowing the visitor to explore almost all Porsche street- and race cars.

After the guided tours, you will have free time to walk through the museum at your own pace.  Afterward, you will enjoy dinner later in the evening.

Day 6 / Friday: Audi Factory & Forum (A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, R8, e-tron GT) - Neckarsulm

After breakfast, you will enjoy a tour of the Audi factory and forum in Neckarsulm. The models of the Audi A5, A6, A7, A8, R8, and  all RS variants  are produced here.  You will look behind the scenes of the production at the cutting-edge technologies and precision systems coupled with the core competence of Audi. Your tour begins at the press shop, followed by the highly automated body shop. You will be amazed to watch over 1,600 robots that can be created in perfect interaction in a very short time and with high precision. You will continue into the assembly lines, where you will see the installation of the front end of the vehicle to state-of-the-art logistics and final assembly. The highlight will be the combination of body and drivetrain or the marriage of the auto.

After the guided tour, you will have free time to walk through the museum at your own pace. Later,  y ou will enjoy dinner later in the evening at a German restaurant.

Day 7 / Saturday: Nymphenburg Palace and Park

After breakfast, We will drive to the Nymphenburg Palace in Munich and spend the day touring the Palace and its beautiful gardens.

Nymphenburg Palace is one of the largest castles in Germany and one of the most important in Europe. From 1715 to 1918 it was the summer residence of the electors and kings of Bavaria from the House of Wittelsbach. The castle complex was largely spared during World War II as the main castle was given a camouflage coating to protect the Palace from air raids.

We will also walk through Nymphenburg Palace Park. The exquisite composition of the formal garden and English-style country park is considered a masterpiece of garden designs. To the east, the park adjoins the palace buildings and the Grand Circle. To the south and west, the park is largely enclosed by the original Garden wall and borders the Botanical Gardens. To the north, the park partly merges with the Kapuzinerhölzl Forest.

After a day at the Palace, we will drive to your hotel near the Munich International airport and enjoy a farewell dinner in a lovely Bavarian restaurant.

Day 8 / Sunday: Departure From Munich

After breakfast. we will be happy to take you to the airport for your departure or you can continue your vacation in Germany.

Visitors are not allowed into the factories unless they are wearing sturdy, closed-top footwear (no sandals). The guided tours take place during production hour shifts.

Please note that some sections of the Auto Factory Tours cannot be accessed by wheelchairs, prams, or push-chairs. For this reason, bookings should not be made for wheelchairs, prams, or push-chairs users. The normal minimum recommended age for children taking part in the tours is ten years. Please ask at the time of booking the restrictions of each tour.

VOLKSWAGEN FACTORY TOUR

VW factory and automobile theme park in WOLFSBURG, GERMANY

• 1. FactoryTour Compact
• 2. FactoryTour Intensive
• 3. Special Tours
• Autostadt Visitor Center
• FactoryTour Compact 6 km long route through the historic power plant to the production halls with cutting-edge technology and equipment. Price: max. 8€; Duration: 60 minutes; Minimum age: 1 year.
• FactoryTour Intensive The tour from history to the present through to visions of the future. The opportunity to experience the birth of a Volkswagen at close range. Tour guides explain everything you need to know about efficient and sustainable vehicle production. Price: 10€; Duration: 90 minutes; Minimum age: 10 years.
• Special Tours Special tours, which focus on very different topics. Special tours for kids in day-care centers or school groups, adults with special interests and sportsmen and even for wedding couples.

1. FACTORYTOUR COMPACT

The tour is carried out in panorama train. It goes right into the automobile production halls. The FactoryTour gives a direct insight into the different production steps involved in production of Volkswagen cars.

6 km long route takes about 1 hour. Tour guide takes you to the production halls and tells many interesting facts and details about the manufacturing. Only a few meters separate you from the presses, the robots and the people who build VW vehicles. The tour starts from the outside meeting point, just infront of the entrance to the Autostadt, at 12:50 p.m. You will arrive by ship or bus shuttle on the factory premises. It is possible to make an online booking for FactoryTour Compact up to 24 hours in advance: https://autostadt.regiondo.com/factorytour Duration: approx. 60 minutes Price: max. 8 € (according to offer of Autostadt). Admission to the Autostadt is not included. Starting point: Autostadt entrance, between main door and the river Minimum age: 1 year

2. FACTORYTOUR INTENSIVE

FactoryTour Intensive offers to experience car manufacturing from a new perspective and see different production areas up close. The tour goes through the production areas such as press shop, body shop and final assembly. The exact route is determined daily by the production. Tours are available in 6 different languages.

Intensive tours are carried out with open vehicles in the style of the Volkswagen Golf. The vehicles can accommodate up to 6 or 30 people and provide an optimal view of the events in the production halls. As a bonus of the tour you'll get an unforgettable feeling of breathing with the real air of the car factory. Tour available from Monday through Thursday: 08:15, 10:15, 12:15 and 14:15. On Fridays: 08:15, 10:30, 12:15 and 14:30. Price: 10€ (discounted 5 €) Duration: 90 minutes Minimum age: 10 years FactoryTour Intensive can only be reserved in writing: [email protected]

3. SPECIAL TOURS

Autostadt Wolfsburg offers individual programmes for groups with defferent interests. There is also Children Discover Volkswagen tour, where production clearly explained in a way that suits the age of the group. CARena – Emotion meets Precision is the unique visitor programme for every age. Together with the football team VfL Wolfsburg, Autostadt offers a combination of the FactoryTour experience and the interactive football world at VfL-FußballWelt! There is even a Wedding FactoryTour organized.

Special tours focus on very different topics depending the interest of the group. For kids: special age-appropriate WerkTouren for children groups. It includes a movie, production tour with the panorama train, snack time, time for questions and joint activities. For adults and soccer fans: a factory tour, Volkswagen Currywurst testing, or a vegetarian alternative, plus football competiton as part of the team. Exclusive candlelight dinner wall to wall with the automobile manufacturing. Asian, Italian or regional cuisine available.

Address: Stadtbrücke, 38440 Wolfsburg, Germany. GPS: 52.431134, 10.793288 Arrival by train Wolfsburg train station is located 5-7 minutes walk from the Autostadt and VW factory across the river via pedestrean bridge. Train ride by Deutsche Bahn (German rail) from Berlin takes only 1h-1,5h depending the departure train. Very convenient, for example, for 1 day visit from Berlin and back. Train ticket price from 10€ if book in advance. Tickets: www.bahn.com or www.flixtrain.com

Arrival by car The A2 Autobahn Hanover-Berlin goes through Wolfsburg. Turn off at the intersection A 39 continue to exit Wolfsburg-West. The way to the Autostadt is well sign-posted.

AUTOSTADT VISITOR CENTER

The building named GroupForum and its Piazza serves as information area, meeting point and starting point for guided tours and your visit to the Autostadt. The pedestrian bridge between the Wolfsburg railway station to Autostadt leads directly to this building. Inside there is Informational desc, where you can buy tickets, get free maps, book guided tours. Outside of this building there are steps leading down to the Mittelland Canal. There is a meeting point for Factory Tours by boat and 1-hour boat trip on the canal to see the Autostadt and the Volkswagen plant from a totally new perspective.

Autostadt indoor attractions are open from 9.00 to 18.00 daily except for 24 December and 31 December. Some restaurants open until 20.00 or 23.00. Volkswagen factory tours in English are available from Monday to Friday at 12.50. Car Delivery Center is open from 7.30. There are few exhibitions situated in the GroupForum building, cinema, SIM MOBILITY Virtual Racing in the Blue Box and few restaurants. Also there are plenty of interesting things for kids : the MobiVersum family world. It includes workshop areas, cooking school, driving school, balancing and climbing sculpture and playarea. For kids from 5 to 11 years old there is LernPark where they can drive electric cars from April to October and get kids driving license.

Phaeno Science Center

https://planetarium-wolfsburg.de/de/startseite/

HOTELS NEAR WOLFSBURG VOLKSWAGEN TOUR

1. hotel global inn.

Offering free WiFi, a 24-hour reception service and a playroom for children, this 3-star hotel is centrally located in Wolfsburg city centre. Hotel Global Inn also offers a terrace. Each room at Hotel Global Inn is brightly decorated and offers a flat-screen TV with satellite channels and a seating area. The restaurant offers guests a variety of hot and cold regional dishes. An optional breakfast buffet for an additional charge is offered in Hotel Global Inn’s breakfast room. The hotel is situated 2 km from Wolfsburg’s famous Autostadt open-air automobile museum and a 15-minute walk from the Phaeno Science Center. Wolfsburg Castle is 4 km away. Providing direct connections to Braunschweig in 25 minutes, Wolfsburg Main Train Station is 1 km from Hotel Global Inn. On-site parking is offered by the hotel for an extra charge.

2. Tryp Wolfsburg

Situated near the main railway station, this hotel in Wolfsburg offers you modern and welcoming facilities. The hotel also benefits from excellent links to the A2 and A39 motorways. The 4-star Tryp Wolfsburg offers tastefully furnished, functional accommodation with all modern amenities. Up to 100 MB is provided free of charge in all room categories, and one category offers unlimited WiFi. For your relaxation, the Tryp Wolfsburg hotel offers a sauna and solarium. Start your day with a rich breakfast buffet featuring hot and cold dishes. Light cuisine is available in the hotel restaurant, Linario, with a summer terrace. A 24-hour bar invites you to sample a range of beverages and unwind in the evening. An underground garage is available on site (fees apply). The Tryp Wolfsburg is just a short walk from the Volkswagen headquarters and also lies within walking distance of the Phaeno Science Center, the Autostadt open-air car museum and the newly opened Designer Outlet Center.

3. Innside by Meliá Wolfsburg

This 4-star Superior hotel in Wolfsburg offers an à la carte restaurant, conference facilities and a fitness centre. Free Wi-Fi access is available at Innside by Meliá Wolfsburg. Each of the rooms here features a 42-inch flat-screen TV, air conditioning and a minibar. Private bathrooms also come with a rain shower or bathtub. Extras include a work desk and a laptop safe, and some rooms have a Recamiere. Guests are invited each morning to enjoy a breakfast buffet at the property. The VEN gourmet restaurant has a summer terrace, and THE VIEW sky bar is a great meeting point and boasts impressive views of the Volkswagen building with its harbour basin. At Innside by Meliá Wolfsburg you will find a sauna, a fitness room with the latest equipment, a 24-hour front desk and a bar. Other facilities offered include a shared lounge and luggage storage. The hotel is 200 m from Autostadt Wolfsburg, 2 km from the Volkswagen Factory and a 2-minute walk from the Phæno Science Centre. Hanover Airport is 90 km away.

4. The Ritz-Carlton, Wolfsburg

This 5-star design hotel offers a 40 m outdoor pool, award-winning food, and spacious rooms with panoramic windows. It is in the modern Volkswagen Autostadt district of Wolfsburg. The air-conditioned rooms of the Ritz-Carlton, Wolfsburg offer views of the Autostadt district or the harbour basin. The hotel also houses more than 600 photographic artworks. The Aqua restaurant has been awarded 3 Michelin stars for its modern European cuisine. Surprisingly natural dishes with local and organic ingredients are served at restaurant Terra, open for lunch and dinner. A wide range of drinks are available in the Lobby Lounge, the Deli and Newman's Bar. The hotel features a floating pool within the harbour, and a fitness club. Saunas and steam rooms can be found in the Kraftwerk spa area. Entry to the Autostadt attraction is included in the room rate. Wolfsburg Train Station is only a 5-minute walk away. Intercity trains run to Hanover in 30 minutes and Berlin in 50 minutes. The designer outlets are just 2 km away.

5. Courtyard by Marriott Wolfsburg

Set in Wolfsburg, Courtyard by Marriott Wolfsburg offers beachfront accommodation 1.4 km from Wolfsburg Castle and offers various facilities, such as a restaurant, a fitness centre and a bar. Among the facilities at this property are a 24-hour front desk and room service, along with free WiFi throughout the property. Private parking is available on site. All guest rooms come with air conditioning, a flat-screen TV with satellite channels, a kettle, a shower, a hairdryer and a desk. At the hotel the rooms are equipped with a wardrobe and a private bathroom. A buffet breakfast is available every morning at Courtyard by Marriott Wolfsburg. The accommodation offers a barbecue. A business centre and a bicycle rental service are also offered by Courtyard by Marriott Wolfsburg. Volkswagen AutoMuseum is 3 km from the hotel, while Volkswagen Arena is 3.1 km from the property. The nearest airport is Hannover Airport, 95 km from Courtyard by Marriott Wolfsburg.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT AUTOSTADT AND VW FACTORY TOUR

Is volkswagen factory tour suitable for children.

Yes, of course. There are 2 types of factory tours available. One is 50 min FactoryTour Compact suits for kids from 1 year old. Another is a bit longer and suits for kids from 6-7 years old. The author of this answer was on Factory Tour Compact in English with a child of 4 years old. The tour impressed both the adult and the child. It is the easiest and fastest way to devote kids to the world of cars and robots.

WHAT IS THE EASIEST WAY TO GET TO WOLFSBURG FROM BERLIN?

Definitely by ICE train from Berlin Hbf to Wolfsburg Hbf (main station). The Autostadt is just across a footbridge from Wolfsburg Hbf, 5 min walk. Train takes only a little over an hour from Berlin to Wolfsburg.

SHOULD I BUY TICKET to VW FACTORY TOUR IN ADVANCE?

The factory tour in English is once a day starts at 12.50. Better to book in advance via Autostadt website to secure the spot. Online booking system also shows day when factory is closed and no factory tours available.

IS AUTOSTADT SIUTABLE FOR CHILDREN?

Yes. There are plenty attractions for kids: indoor and outdoor driving school, driving learn park (from April to October), kids playgound, kids tour in the ZeitHaus museum, some smaller kids cormers in pavilions. In addition, family restaurant Pizza Amano restaurant invites kids to make their own personal pizza.

HOW MUCH TIME TO PLAN TO SPEND THERE TO VISIT AUTOSTADT, VW CAR MUSEUM AND FACTORY TOUR?

You could easily spend half a day there. Autostadt statistic shows that guests spend an avarage 4-6 hours.

• Legoland Parks
• Hotels with Eiffel view
• Glass Igloo Hotels
• Helsinki Boutique Hotels
• VW factory tour
• Sicilia hotels
• Adriatic hotels
• Garda hotels
• Sardinia Hotel
• Swim seaside hotels
• Canary islands hotels
• Mallorca hotels
• Lanzarote Hotels
• All family hotels
• Mallorca family hotels
• Canary family hotels
• Lanzarote family hotels
• Benidorm family hotels
• Mallorca tennis hotels
• Mallorca gym hotels
• TRIATHLON HOTELS SPAIN
• All inclusive hotels in Majorca
• Adults Only hotels Majorca
• Castle hotels Mallorca
• Majorca Family Holidays Guide

Gallery 8 Must-See European Factory Tours

We use cookies and Inspectlet. By using this website, you accept the use of cookies which helps us provide you more interesting and adapted content.

When it’s made in Europe, it’s usually something special. From world-renowned beers to luxury automobiles, Europe has a knack for handcrafting greatness. Get a behind-the-scenes look at some of the factories and museums you can tour while in Europe.

Fragonard perfume factory, France

Get a whiff of France’s Fragonard perfume with a tour of their 300-year-old factory. See what goes into the look and smell of one of the most popular perfume companies in the world as they share their story during these free guided tours.

Volkswagen Factory & Museum at Autostadt, Wolfsburg, Germany

See just how far the legendary German automaker Volkswagen has come while on a tour of their Wolfsburg factory . Follow the production steps from the press shop to the assembly line in just about two hours and go home with a greater appreciation of how their cars come together.

Heineken Experience, Amsterdam, Netherlands

No trip to Amsterdam is complete without the true Heineken Experience. More than a museum, the Heineken Experience is a hands-on tour of one of the largest beer producers in the world. The end of the tour is topped off with enjoying two cold glasses of Heineken per person.

Cadbury World, United Kingdom

Cadbury World in the UK offers fun for the whole family. From learning the history of Cadbury to seeing how each piece of chocolate is packaged, it’s a fun look at how some of our favorite candies are made. And there’s plenty of chocolate sampling to be had along the way.

Carlsberg Beer Factory Tour, Denmark

Experience Denmark’s prized Carlsberg Beer firsthand with a factory tour. From how the company got started in 1847 to what goes into each batch, learn the ins and outs of this favorite local beer. Then, enjoy a taste at the end of the tour.

Munich’s BMW World, Germany

See what it takes to be one of the world’s most respected automakers during the BMW Plant Tour in Munich. Find out how each employee plays their part to put together award-winning vehicles each and every year. Tickets go quick, so reserve your spot early.

Museu de Chapelaria, Portugal

As one of the most unique tours in Europe, the Museu de Chapelaria (a.k.a. Hat Museum) is a surprising treat for tourists and locals alike. Learn everything about European hat design and manufacturing through the years at this unforgettable museum in Portugal.

Guinness Storehouse, Dublin, Ireland

Go straight to the Irish pubs’ source at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin. As one of Ireland’s top visitor attractions, it’s a firsthand look at one of the most complex beer breweries in the world. Of course, it comes complete with a beer sampling in the Gravity Bar overlooking the city.

Design Museum, Finland

No trip to Europe is complete without learning about the stunning modern designs that come from Finland. Although not a factory tour, The Design Museum in Finland is a celebration of the brilliant lineage of Finnish design . Learn about Finland’s three design icons—Iittala glasses, Alvar Aalto stools and Marimekko dresses.

Shopping off the Beaten Track

There’s more to shopping in Europe than the designer brands on Champs-Élysées.

The Best European Experiences for Music Lovers

Music is at the heart of every country, city and person in Europe. But the type of music you’ll find during a trip to Europe can vary dramatically. From modern rock festivals to classic opera performances, you’re sure to see and hear a wide range of performances. Browse this gallery for a taste of some of Europe’s most interesting music scenes.

Cycling Routes in Europe

Europe is a very bike-friendly continent, both in the cities and out in the countryside.

Your Guide to Europe’s Modern Architecture

Europe has been around for a long time. That’s why some of its most celebrated buildings are some of the oldest. But newer, more modern buildings can also be found. From Italy to Denmark, modern architecture has found its way into Europe’s heart. Browse this gallery to see some of the newest architectural marvels found throughout Europe.

Featured Experiences

Magical croatia.

For more than just summer!

Priorat Wine Fair

The Priorat Wine Fair, dedicated to DOC Priorat and DO Montsant, is held annually on the first weekend of May.

Romania, a wonder of nature

Explore the Carpathian garden.

The Emperor’s Schmarrn

When it came to his choice of meals, Emperor Franz Joseph proved very loyal to his native country and region. Alongside cooked beef, he loved simple pastry dishes made from eggs, flour, milk and a little sugar, such as the light and creamy Kaiserschmarren. Also known as ‘Emporer’s Trifle’, this dish is a true staple in Viennese cuisine and can not only be served as dessert but also as a main course. And: It is really easy to make.

The new spirit in southern Serbia

Get acquainted with young artists of Niš!

CHECK OUT OUR LATEST GUIDE

Europe’s best undiscovered food markets

Discover local cuisine, drinks, and artisan goods that are unforgettably special

The Grand Duke is in town

Venture inside Luxembourg’s Grand-Ducal Palace.

Want to know more about Europe?

Sign up to our newsletter here:

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Exploring the Best Car Factory Tours Around the World

Car factory tours offer an exclusive peek into the world of automotive manufacturing, showcasing cutting-edge technology, fascinating history, and the sheer art of car-making. Here’s a list of 10 of the most impressive car factory tours around the world, each offering a unique and memorable experience:

Porsche Factory, Stuttgart, Germany

The Porsche Factory in Stuttgart is a haven for car enthusiasts. Visitors can witness the assembly of some of the world’s most iconic sports cars, like the Porsche 911. The factory is known for its meticulous craftsmanship and the seamless integration of advanced robotics and skilled human labor. The tour also includes a visit to the Porsche Museum, housing a rich history of the brand.

Ferrari Factory, Maranello, Italy

The Ferrari Factory in Maranello offers an exclusive look into the making of some of the most coveted supercars in the world. The guided tour takes you through various stages of production, showcasing the meticulous attention to detail that goes into each Ferrari. Visitors can also explore the Ferrari Museum, celebrating the brand’s legendary history in motor racing and luxury automobiles.

BMW Welt and Factory, Munich, Germany

BMW Welt in Munich is not just a factory tour; it’s an immersive brand experience. Visitors can explore BMW’s state-of-the-art production processes and see models like the BMW 3 Series in production. The facility itself is an architectural marvel, and the tour often includes a visit to the BMW Museum and BMW Headquarters.

Lamborghini Factory, Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy

The Lamborghini Factory tour in Sant’Agata Bolognese offers a behind-the-scenes look at how some of the most exotic cars in the world are made, including models like the Aventador and Huracán. The tour is known for its intimate view into the handcrafting process and the company’s history, emphasizing Lamborghini’s blend of tradition and innovation.

Bugatti Factory, Molsheim, France

The Bugatti Factory in Molsheim is where the legendary Bugatti hypercars, such as the Veyron and Chiron, come to life. Unlike mass production factories, Bugatti’s facility is known for its meticulous handcrafted approach to car making. Each vehicle is assembled with unparalleled precision and care, often tailored to the bespoke requests of clients. The tour of this facility is an exclusive experience, offering insights into the extraordinary level of craftsmanship and attention to detail that goes into every Bugatti car. Visitors also learn about Bugatti’s rich history and its evolution into a modern hypercar manufacturer.

Ford Rouge Factory, Dearborn, USA

The Ford Rouge Factory in Dearborn, Michigan, is steeped in automotive history. It’s the birthplace of the Ford Model T and the Ford F-150. The tour includes a view of the factory’s impressive assembly line and introduces visitors to Ford’s rich history and its role in the development of the automotive industry.

Volkswagen Transparent Factory, Dresden, Germany

The Volkswagen Transparent Factory in Dresden stands out for its unique architecture and the transparent manufacturing process of the VW e-Golf. Visitors can see the skilled assembly of electric vehicles in a near-silent, glass-walled environment, emphasizing Volkswagen’s commitment to sustainability and transparency.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Factory, Goodwood, England

The Rolls-Royce factory in Goodwood is where luxury and craftsmanship meet. The tour allows visitors to witness the meticulous assembly process of models like the Phantom and Ghost, where much of the work is still done by hand. The factory is set in a beautiful landscape, emphasizing Rolls-Royce’s dedication to luxury and excellence.

Aston Martin Factory, Gaydon, England

The Aston Martin Factory in Gaydon offers an exclusive glimpse into the making of these iconic British sports cars. Visitors can see the intricate craftsmanship involved in creating models like the DB11 and Vantage. The tour showcases Aston Martin’s blend of cutting-edge technology with traditional handcrafting techniques.

McLaren Technology Centre, Woking, England

The McLaren Technology Centre is not just a factory but the heart of McLaren’s technological innovations. This state-of-the-art facility is where McLaren’s Formula 1 cars and its high-performance road cars like the McLaren P1 and 720S are developed and built. The architecture of the building itself is a marvel, designed to reflect the company’s design ethos and commitment to innovation. Visitors can witness the meticulous assembly process of some of the world’s most advanced sports cars and get a sense of the cutting-edge technology and engineering prowess that McLaren embodies.

This article originally appeared on MyCarMakesNoise .

Author: Dave Johnston

Related articles.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Recent Posts

MyCarMakesNoise.com

Copyright © 2024 My Car Makes Noise

• Good Reasons
• Vehicle collection offers
• Plan your stay
• Volkswagen Factory Tour
• Vehicle Handover
• Driving attraction Ausfahrt
• New era of vehicle delivery

Web Content Display Web Content Display

Photo: Mark Henderson

Volkswagen FACTORY TOUR COMPACT

TAKE A LOOK BEHIND THE SCENES

Note: There are no factory tours from 2 January until 12 January 2024 

Immerse yourself in the world of automotive production and take a ride on the open Golf train to see how cars are made at Volkswagen. This factory tour takes about one hour and gives you direct insight into the various steps of vehicle production. If you're coming to Autostadt to pick up a vehicle, you can book a tour through the Volkswagen factory for the day of your vehicle handover, subject to availability. As a guest, you can also book a factory tour via our online shop or on the actual day, subject to availability. Experience this fascinating journey to the roots of Volkswagen for yourself.

BOOK THE FACTORY TOUR AS A GUEST

If you would like to take the factory tour as a guest of Autostadt, you can book a place for €10 per person via our online shop. No discounts are offered. In addition, free places on the factory tour can also be booked on the day, subject to availability, at the Welcome Desk on the Piazza. You can do so up to 90 minutes before the tour starts.

Infor­mation

Note: Factory tours are only offered when production is taking place on weekdays and not during factory holidays. Please understand that the tour may change or even be cancelled if there is good cause.

Shuttle:  A bus is provided to take you to the factory from the ServiceHaus car park. You must wear a FFP2 or KN95/N95 face mask while on the bus.

Age : Children aged 10 and over can take part in the factory tour..

We use cookies to enable you to make the best possible use of our website and to improve our communications with you. We take your preferences into regard and process data for analytics and personalization only if you give us your consent by clicking on "Agree and continue" or if you make a specific selection by clicking on "Set cookie preferences". You can revoke your consent at any time with effect for the future. Information on the individual cookies used and the possibility of revocation can be found in our privacy policy and in the cookie policy .

Your settings concerning cookies for this website

We use cookies in order to enable you to use our website in the best possible way and to improve our communications with you. Make your selection here:

Necessary cookies facilitate the use of a website by enabling such basic functions as page navigation and access to secure areas of the website. The website cannot function properly without these cookies.

These cookies are used to permit website functions that facilitate the most comfortable use that is tailored to your own interests. Analysis of user behaviour also enables us to continuously improve the quality of our website.

We use these cookies to display advertising tailored to your interests, both while you are visiting Autostadt’s websites and others.

Mustravel.com / Porscheplatz.com Tours Incorporated is an exclusive supercar touring agent that takes you into the heartland of speed, the belly of engineering beauty, to introduce avid admirers and owners alike to the world of perfection, the splendour of design and the life of opulence like only the Germans and Italians can showcase. 

Join enthusiast, owner and entrepreneur Les Barnes as he takes you behind the scenes with an all access pass into a fast-paced and ever evolving world he has been involved with and passionate about since he can remember; the world of the luxury supercar. 

Walk through the history of the most famous motoring brands, visit famous motoring houses and factories, museums, experience exhilarating hot laps around F1 approved tracks, enjoy fascinating driving tours and endless lifestyle events, restaurants and food tours and even take in a Formula One stand-off. Rev your engines for the experience of a lifetime.

Porscheplatz – place of ultimate perfection and fascination in motion…. and the obvious starting point of our Stuttgart tours considering what happens around the circle at Porscheplatz – the Porsche factory, Porsche museum, Classic Restoration and Porsche Dealership. 

On to Leipzig – Porschestraße 1, the Porsche factory and magnificent F1 approved factory test track extends the brand’s fascinating range of manufacturing and testing. For the 356 enthusiast, a visit to Gmünd in Austria – the birthplace of the Porsche 356 included. 

Porscheplatz.com Tours does not just focus on Porsche marque alone and include visits to the rest of the Volkswagen premium marques showcasing Lamborghini, Bugatti and Ducati in the famous Italian Motor Valley. 

The exciting Volkswagen Wolfsburg plant and museum as well as Audi in Ingolstadt complete the Porscheplatz family in Europe, with Bentley in the United Kingdom. 

Completing the Volkswagen Group, Porscheplatz.com Tours also includes Italy’s famous Motor Valley where the balance of the Volkswagen Group is situated, showcasing Lamborghini, Ducati and Bugatti. 

Still in Motor Valley, we also visit the Ferrari and Enzo Ferrari Museum, Maserati, Pagani, Alfa Romeo. While we are here, we throw in a few food and restaurant tours, what can be better! 

To bring more excitement, Porscheplatz.com Tours also includes exciting top German brands, factories and their museums in Stuttgart and further afield. The magnificent Mercedes Museum in Stuttgart and factory in Sindelfingen, AMG plant also in Sindelfingen, BMW museum and factory in Munich, RUF-Automobile Manufacturer and independent racing outfit  in Pfaffenhausen as well as the famous historical 2 x Sinsheim and other motor museums. 

Numerous other manufacturing sites within the Volkswagen Group spread throughout Europe also form part of our exciting line-up of visits. 

Day trips to historical towns and cities, unforgettable driving and lifestyle tours along with so many more incredible experiences forms part of the above factory visits and completes the experiences for both enthusiasts as well as their traveling companions. 

The Self-Driving Tours are equally exhilarating, with routes covering areas all over Germany and Austria. The experience is so much more than visiting a showroom. These parts of Germany are filled with old-world charm and modern-day magic. It is gorgeous to behold. The design, the precision and the process of manufacturing of these vehicles are incredible to see first-hand.

Combine some of this perfection with a lifestyle tour, our offerings which includes a week in the snow, a magic tour by train, a Grand Prix, Le Mans, etc. – alternatively, an itinerary designed by yourself. Combine all of this and life can’t be any better.

Experience The Porsche platz.com Legacy.

Exclusive l Perfection l Fascination

You have seen the cars, admired their slick lines, the effortless magnificence with which they navigate the highways and the elegant sophistication of every manufactured and experienced detail. You may have even had the good fortune to get behind the steering wheel of one of these powerful (and beautiful) creations, and dreamed about plotting a course along one of Top Gear’s best (in the world) tracks to really behold the ‘super’ of it all.  

Welcome to a world that allows you to dot your i’s and cross your t’s on all of the above at the heart of the system, in the hub of manufacturing magic, at the place where it all begins and where it all comes from – a place of magic and perfection, a place called  Porscheplatz . 

What is Porscheplatz ? It is the roadway and circle that leads to all that is Porsche sacred, the circle of infinity in Zuffenhausen Stuttgart and surrounded by the Porsche Factory, the new Porsche Museum, Classic Restoration (Werks1) and one of the major Porsche dealerships in the world. It is the inspiration and the ignition point of Porscheplatz.com – an unrivalled supercar experience for the connoisseur, the novice and the dreamer alike from where perfection follows through and takes you to (motor car) magic, no matter the marque or tour experience.

Exclusive Tours.

Factory Tours – Automotive | Tours – Commercial Entities & Incentive  | Museums | Driving Tours | Lifestyle Tours |  Hot Laps  |   Le Mans | Formula1 | Motor Valley Italy

General Disclaimer

All product and company names are trademarks™ or registered® trademarks of their respective holders. Use of them by Porscheplatz.com does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them. The content found on this site is strictly for the purposes of facilitating it’s intention and explicitly used for reference purposes only.

The driving force behind Porscheplatz.com, Les Barnes, is a seasoned (and extremely passionate) professional who has dedicated most of his life to everything super about these majestic beasts of the motorways.  

With more than 36 years of experience as part of the steering mechanism behind the Porsche Club of South Africa, his knowledge, expertise and pure love of the supercar brand makes him the ideal tour guide to introduce clients to the behind the scenes world of the luxury motoring industry.  

In the 18 years that he has been organising these factory tours, he has ushered thousands of enthusiasts along the red-carpet world of motoring royalty. Guests have been treated to laps around F1 approved factory test tracks and delectable meals served by Michelin chefs in the Factory restaurants.  

Not only does the entire Volkswagen Group, which includes the Porsche brand, focus highly on his agenda, it also includes the balance of exciting brands of the group based in the famous Motor Valley of Italy. Top German manufacturers, including those known to have a distant historical connection to the Porsche marque namely Mercedes also features on the list. BMW and all other brands included in his portfolio have proven their well-earned space in this arena due to their quality and Super Car credentials.

……All my life I tried to do everything perfect, now come and experience perfection with me……  

With more than 37 years of snow skiing under the belt, earning his stripes on the famous and most fearsome Streif, (Hahnenkamm) of Kitzbühel, with the forerunner of the World Cup downhill race as his instructor, and 22 years of organising ski trips – it has become a preferred way of life. Only the best in accommodation and quality of resorts will be chosen and placed on offer to match the passion that goes with the unmistaken chosen description of perfection that is Porscheplatz.

Needless to say – the same can be said of all other tours on offer. Come and experience perfection with me….and make memories that can only be equalled with new ones second time around.

Porscheplatz Tours: Online Enquiry

Email Address

Contact Details.

If you would like more information or have any questions about the wonderful touring packages we offer, please feel free to contact Les Barnes on:

Tel: +27 (0)82 413 7454 Email:  [email protected]

Postal Address:

PO Box 12422 Garden Route Mall George, 6546 South Africa

Maserati Factory Tour

An inside look at the Maserati world

Innovation, passion and uniqueness guide the Brand in this phase of total renewal.

The starting-point for this journey is the historic plant on Viale Ciro Menotti in Modena. The Modena plant, where the Trident has had its home for over 80 years, is a magical location that combines the Brand’s “made in Italy” DNA and its Heritage with an irrepressible drive towards the future and innovation: the plant has been modernised with new production, engine assembly and painting facilities specifically for the new MC20.

Lasting about an hour, the exclusive factory tour includes a welcome reception and historical introduction in the recently renovated showrooms prior to a guided walk around the powertrain department. Afterwards there is the opportunity to view the cars and browse through the Maserati store 1 .

A factory tour

Maserati Engine Lab and Paintshop

Information

Reservation -  To reserve your Tour please visit  ModenaTur website .

Languages -  Factory and Modena showroom tour commentary can be provided in English, Italian, German, French or Spanish.

OPENING HOURS

The factory tour can be held Monday to Friday, from 09:00 until 15:30.  The reservation is mandatory.

MINORS AND UNDER-18s

Our security policy does not allow children and those under 18 years of age access to the plant.

CANCELLATION POLICY

Maserati reserves the right to cancel or reschedule a factory tour at any time for internal reasons, even after a tour has been confirmed by us. The customer will be promptly informed as soon as a booking has to be cancelled and, if possible, an alternative date will be proposed. By accepting a factory tour reservation, the client accepts this condition and understands that Maserati cannot be held liable for any consequences of the cancellation. This condition is always included in the official factory tour confirmation notice. 

Get in contact with us

Contact us if you have any inquiries or if you can't find an answer on our website. Your request will be sent to our dedicated staff, who will support you further.

International

• International website
• South Africa
• Czech Republic
• Netherlands
• United Kingdom
• Dominican Republic
• Puerto Rico
• China Mainland
• China Macao
• China Taiwan
• Philippines
• South Korea

Middle-east

• New Zealand

1st inset photo: Nürburgring GmbH / Photoagentur Urner 2nd inset photo: Mercedes-Benz Museum.

CAR FACTORY TOURS ITALY

• In case of last minute slot changes, arranged by the Car Companies, the tour schedule may be submit to change
• Lamborghini Factory is closed until April 30, 2024
• Factories visits must be booked in advance due to the high number of visitors
• For safety reasons it will be mandatory to wear closed footwear during the Ducati Factory Tour

CHOOSE YOUR FAVORITE TOUR

CHOOSE YOUR FAVORITE VIP TOUR FULL DAY EXPERIENCE WITH TEST DRIVE

1 - ‎‏Ferrari Museum in Maranello entrance to the Maranello Museum without queueing visit with a personal guide in your language personalised named Ferrari badge for you welcome drink in the private area of the museum cafeteria dedicated  one-hour guided tour free Ferrari publication for you 2 - Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena entrance to the Enzo Ferrari Museum without queueing visit with a personal guide in your language welcome coffee at the start as well as refreshments at the end 3 - Bus tours in Maranello to the Fiorano Track and in the Factory complex 4 - Test Drive on Track with Ferrari 488 Challenge | 5 laps or Ferrari 458 Challenge | 5 laps 5 - Test Drive on the Road with Ferrari 488 Spider | 30 min or Ferrari F8 Tributo Spider | 30 min or Ferrari 296 GTB | 30 min   6 - Movie and Photos of your Test Drive on USB stick 7 - Ferrari Simulation Experience | 10 min 8 - Lunch at Cavallino Restaurant in Maranello by chef Massimo Bottura 9 - Transfer in Luxury Van & Private Guide in all Languages

SPECIAL OFFER:

For your companion ONLY the FERRARI VIP TOUR WITHOUT TEST DRIVE COSTS € 550,00 : to add this tour click below

1 - Ferruccio Lamborghini Museum in Funo di Argelato | Bologna entrance to the Ferruccio Lamborghini Museum without queueing visit with a personal guide in your language 2 - Lamborghini Museum "MUDETEC" in Sant'Agata Bolognese | Bologna welcome drink at the Bull Bar in front of the Lamborghini Museum entrance to the Mudetec Museum without queuing visit with a personal guide in your language 3 - Lamborghini Factory in Sant'Agata Bolognese | Bologna entrance to the Factory without queue visit with a personal guide in your language tour of the Lamborghini Urus production line 4 - Test Drive on Track with Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo | 5 laps or Gallardo Super Trofeo | 5 laps 5 - Test Drive on the Road with Lamborghini Huracan Spider | 30 min or Lamborghini Huracan Performante Coupé | 30 min 6 - Video and photos of your Test Drive on a USB flash drive 7 - Lamborghini Simulation Experience | 10 min 8 - Lunch at the "Ristorante La Nunziadéina" in Nonantola (Modena) 9 - Transfer in Luxury Van & Private Guide in all Languages

SPECIAL OFFER: For your companion ONLY the LAMBORGHINI VIP TOUR WITHOUT TEST DRIVE COSTS € 550,00 : to add this tour click below

Berlin Plant Tour

Experience dynamic, futuristic ideas and authentic history in Germany’s only motorcycle plant – at the BMW Group Plant Berlin.

The BMW Group is known worldwide not only for its automobiles, but also for its premium motorcycles. The BMW Group Plant Berlin is one of the BMW Group’s most traditional locations. Since 1969, BMW motorbikes have had Berlin’s air in their tires. Here, the almost 2,000 employees manufacture up to 800 two-wheelers everyday. What motivates them? Their passion for sustainable and individual mobility – whether on two wheels or four.

Experience the production of the legendary BMW motorcycles up close in one of our plant tours in Berlin-Spandau!

i FACTORY EXPERIENCE at the BMW Group Plant Berlin

In 90 minutes we will take you on a journey through the logistics centre and the assembly hall of the motorcycle production headquarters. You will visit the most modern logistics centre in the motorbike industry. Here, BMW Motorrad not only works innovatively, but also in a particularly organised way: Every 75 seconds, a finished motorcycle leaves the plant and makes its way from Berlin-Spandau to one of the 130 countries supplied. In the assembly halls of the BMW Group Plant Berlin, you can witness how the engine, the heart of every motorcycle, is created. Witness the production of customised motorbikes that are manufactured from around 2,000 parts and components – according to customer specifications. At the end of the tour, we will take an exclusive look into the future together with new impressions from the field of electromobility and connectivity.

The Basic Tour through the BMW Group Plant Berlin is designed for all interested visitors and is ideal for tourist excursions.

The Extended Tour promises 120 minutes full of exciting insights into the BMW Group Plant Berlin. You can look forward to a visit to the innovative logistics centre and the assembly halls, as well as an exclusive visit to the mechanical production. Thanks to state-of-the-art technologies and 350 employees, up to 4,300 engine parts are produced per day in the historic mechanical production building. BMW Motorrad already has over 90 years of experience with authority motorcycles and supplies authorities in 140 countries. Be part of the motorcycle’s cornerstone laying! Get detailed information on motorcycle assembly and follow the entire production process of the BMW motorcycles! BMW Motorrad manufactures almost all parts and components in house – including parts for e-motors. This tour is especially designed for bikers and technology enthusiasts who want to experience the BMW motorcycle production in its entirety.

The School Tour is for students aged 14 and over. In 90 minutes, the guides convey the contents of the Basic Tour in an age-appropriate way. The students get an insight into the logistics areas and the assembly halls. Here, school classes can accompany the different production steps – from the individual part to the finished motorbike! Interested teachers please book the Group Ticket Basic Tour in the ticket shop and indicate in the comment field that the group is a school class. If you have any questions, please contact our team: [email protected] .

Book now your iFACTORY EXPERIENCE at the BMW Group Plant Berlin. We look forward to welcoming you to the plant soon!

Please Consider These Points Before Visiting the Berlin Plant:

• Current global events can have significant influence over our production. As a result, tours may have to be cancelled for operational reasons. Should this happen to you, we will offer you an alternative or schedule a refund as soon as possible.
• Children under the age of 14 are not allowed on the plant premises.
• Participation in the tour is only possible with closed-toed shoes.
• Audio guides with headphones will be provided for a full tour experience. Wearing the headphones is mandatory. If you are unable to wear headphones for health reasons, please contact the booking center prior to your visit to the plant.
• The tour is conducted in German.

Use of cookies

We use cookies – including third-party cookies – to collect information about how visitors use our websites. They help us give you the best possible experience, continually improve our sites and provide you with offers that are tailored to your interests.

The information collected via cookies can also be processed outside of the European Union, for example in the USA. By clicking the “Accept all” button you agree to the use of these cookies. You can withdraw your consent at any time, change your preferences and get detailed information about our use of cookies by clicking “Individual”.

Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper functioning of the website.

Statistics cookies acquire information anonymously. This information helps us to understand how our visitors use our website.

Content from video sharing platforms and social media platforms is blocked by default. If cookies are accepted by external media, access to these contents no longer requires manual consent.

How To Get a (Mostly) Free European Road Trip When You Buy a Car

Few people check the box. In fact, the salesperson readying your brand new car probably has never seen anyone choose the “European Delivery” option. But there it is, waiting for you.

Tick that box and you won’t be leaving the fancy dealership with your car today. Instead, you’ll soon be heading to Europe for an automotive dream vacation, during which you’ll pick up your new vehicle at the factory and enjoy a European road trip paid for by the automakers.

Six car companies do this. BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and Porsche expend major marketing effort and print a lot of glossy brochures to entice buyers to come to their factories. (Rolls-Royce doesn't, but a pricey bespoke program exists if you can afford a Rolls and know whom to ask). The automakers will send you to either Germany or Sweden, and once you pick up your new car, you're free to drive it around Europe with no bureaucratic hand-holding or restrictions. The companies throw in two weeks of European Union auto insurance for good measure.

Mercedes-Benz

You've got two choices of where in Germany to pick up your new Benz: Bremen, or Mercedes' hometown of Stuttgart.

The Bremen factory, which builds the SL, SLK, C-Class, E-Class Coupe, and GLK, is Mercedes' largest factory in the world. If you pick up your car there, you'll see assembly line after assembly line where a workforce of 12,500 people assembles cars. If you choose Stuttgart, you’ll get a factory tour and also a tour of the company museum in which more than 160 milestone Mercedes production vehicles, racing models, and concept cars sit. The list includes the first modern production car, the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, built in 1885.

Depending on the model, Euro delivery scratches off seven percent of the car's retail price (MSRP), as well as the $925 destination fee that dealerships make you pay up front. The Euro delivery discount also stacks with most promotional offers, says Catherine Gebhardt, a Mercedes-Benz USA public relations representative.

Mercedes supplies a $200 Delta Air Lines voucher, a taxi credit, your first night's hotel in Stuttgart or Bremen, and breakfast or lunch the next morning. The bad? Mercedes excludes quite a few cars from Euro delivery, so it'd be easier to list the ones they include: the CLA Coupe, C-Class Coupe and Cabriolet, E-Class, CLS, GLA, GLC, and SL.

The company supplies free European auto insurance for two weeks after you pick up the car, after which you're on the hook for the cost. Mercedes has the most generous deadline for returning your car for shipment to the U.S. You've got up a year to do whatever you want with your Benz until you drop it off in one of eight countries (the limit is only one month if you lease through Mercedes' in-house financing). Once you drop off the car, it'll take 8 ½ to 12 ½ weeks for the vehicle to arrive at the dealership nearest to your home. Leaving it to a drop-off center outside Germany adds three weeks.

BMW's program invites you to tour its Munich headquarters, one of the most heavily robotized car factories in the world. Here, the German automaker will deliver your new car to you on a glass elevator with plenty of pomp in the BMW Welt, an architecturally beautiful exhibition center that's part showroom, part science fair exhibit meant to show off BMW's newer models. If the sight of M1s, 507's, and Isettas gets your blood moving, then take up BMW on its offer of a private tour of the company museum, where they keep the rarest and most historically significant BMWs in the world.

Munich's hometown car company offers you 5 percent off MSRP and two free weeks of auto insurance. You can keep the car in Europe for up to five months before you have to drop it off in one of seven European countries. The deal is for three months if you finance or lease through BMW's financial service. Six to ten weeks later, your Bimmer will pass through Customs, and a week later will be waiting at your local dealership in the U.S. Add a week if you leave it outside Germany. Euro delivery doesn't apply to the X3, X4, X5, or X6, which are built in South Carolina, or to the hybrid i3.

Pick up your car at one of two locations in Germany: Audi's headquarters in the medieval walled city of Ingolstadt or the Neckarsulm factory. You're on your own for airfare, but Audi pays for the hotel room the night before a chauffeur arrives in the morning to whisk you to the factory. If you opt for Ingolstadt, guides take you on a two-hour tour of the factory, and then you're free to take a self-guided tour of the Audi museum, which is set up chronologically with each of 15 sections covering a mini-timeline in Audi's history from 1899 to today. In Necksarsulm, you get an individualized factory tour, but no museum. If you're heading west on your European road trip, pass through the Black Forest's famous driving roads before you enter France.

You get two weeks of auto insurance from the day you pick up the car, but your stay in Europe is limited to 90 days before you have to leave the car in one of nine drop-off countries. Every model except for the Q5, SQ5, and A3 e-tron are available for the program, and every available model, save for the R8 and RS, qualifies for a 5 percent discount off sticker price. After drop-off, it takes 11 to 13 weeks for your local dealership to reunite you and your new Audi.

The only non-German automaker on the list, Volvo supplies two free round-trip tickets on Scandinavian Airlines to Volvo's headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden, and then puts you and your guest up for a night in the four-star Clarion Hotel Post before you head to the factory in the morning. Discounts vary by model, as does cancellation of the $995 destination fee. In Gothenburg, Volvo lets you test drive your new car or SUV on a demo track and then feeds you a traditional Swedish lunch. Afterward, you take a one-hour guided tour through the Volvo factory to see how your car was built, and then the 86,000-square-foot Volvo Museum that displays the whole spread of Volvo's 91-year history: road cars, race cars, concept cars, trucks, buses, boat engines, and construction equipment.

Unlike the German automakers, Volvo lets you order special Europe-only options, colors, wheels, and interiors not otherwise available for U.S.- market vehicles, although Volvo didn't respond to our inquiries to specify what they were. You've got up to six months in Europe before you have to return it to a drop-off location in one of seven countries so that Volvo can ship it home. You have to pay for the transportation from your drop-off location to the port where your car will ship out, but you can skip the fee if you return it to Gothenburg.

Porsche is a bit of a buzzkill when it comes to fringe perks. The Stuttgart automaker offers no discount, airfare, hotel stay, or transportation to the factory. But if you're picking up a Cayenne or Panamera from the Leipzig location, you'll get to drive on the Porsche factory's test track, which is FIA sanctioned as a competition race track. Cayenne drivers also get to run through the 3.7-mile off-road obstacle course. You'll cross over fallen logs, a stepped ascent, and a seesaw, and ford a 165-foot-long stretch of water.

Pick up at the Zuffenhausen factory in a suburb of Stuttgart and you’ll get to visit the official Porsche Museum that holds many of the most historically significant Porsche road and race models in the world, including the first Porsche ever built: the P1, a wooden-wheeled electric slab built in 1898, lost in 1902, and rediscovered in a shed in 2014.

Porsche sends you off with 16 days of auto insurance, and gives you a maximum of six months in Europe before you have to send the car back via one of eight countries. There are additional charges to transport it between dropping it off and putting it on the ship, but Porsche didn't respond to inquiries to specify how much they were. It did say, in its official literature: “(After delivery), you are invited to enjoy a complimentary lunch in the executive office building and shop for exclusive merchandise at the Porsche Selection Boutique adjacent to the delivery center.” Which is very Porsche.

Matt Jancer is a Southern-based automotive and outdoors writer. If he isn't outside getting swarmed by things or asking animals to stay still for photos, you'll find him on the side of the road under the hood of an old car, yanking apart emissions equipment and cursing.

.css-cuqpxl:before{padding-right:0.3125rem;content:'//';display:inline;} Cars .css-xtujxj:before{padding-left:0.3125rem;content:'//';display:inline;}

The 40 Best Car Toys for Kids in 2024

The 6 Best Car Trash Cans for Collecting Debris

The 5 Best Cordless Power Washers

The 2024 Nissan Rogue Is Making Its Great Escape

Future Cars Worth Waiting For: 2024–2028

10 of the Greatest Corvettes of All Time

The 8 Best USB Car Chargers for a Full Battery

Our Top Tested Jump Starter is 41% Off At Amazon

The Best Car Emergency Kits, Just in Case

These Jeep x Igloo Accessories Are Awesome

20 Cars That Were Massively Improved by a Redesign

• Chery Automotive

China’s Chery to set up shop in Europe

Chinese automaker Chery is planning to make cars in Spain, where the EV market is at just 12%, half that of Portugal and France. This would be Chery’s first manufacturing site in Europe.

It’s all part of the Chinese brand’s ambitious plan to set up three brands in Europe and launch three new models for each brand, all by 2026 – yet, unfortunately, Chery wants to bring ICE vehicles along with its low-cost EVs, including a luxury gas-burning SUV brand that it already sells in China. The automaker plans to launch its first EV in Germany by the first half of this year: the Omoda 5 EV, which is set to start at €37,000 (about $39,750).

Spain’s Industry Ministry said in a statement that the agreement would be formalized in the next few days, with Chery planning to start production in Barcelona, according to Reuters . Given the slow uptake of electric vehicles in Spain, Chery says it plans to make combustion engine, hybrid, and electric vehicles there.

According to Automotive News Europe , the talks are centered around Chery producing its cars at the former Nissan plant, which shut down in 2021 and where 1,600 people lost their jobs, with the plan to bring at least some of those jobs back.

Whether or not Spain has offered any special public aid to sweeten the deal, they haven’t said, but Catalonia’s regional government is sending its senior business official to China to meet with Chery executives this week. Spain is also opening two tenders this year for EV companies to request a total €1.7 billion in loans and grants for EV production, which is part of the PERTE scheme of incentives that rely on European pandemic relief funds, according to Automotive News Europe . The former Nissan plant was partially handed over to Spanish electric motorcycle company Silence, along with local engineering groups QEV and EV Motors, which planned to transform the factory into a hub for EVs. EV Motors now has full corporate control of the hub and is involved in the talks with Chery, with sources telling Reuters that EV Motors also plans to produce EV trucks and vans under its Ebro brand there alongside Chery.

Back in March, Chery was reportedly in talks with Italy – another European country where EVs have an incredibly low market share – about building a plant there, but sources say that those plans stalled and the company is moving ahead with Spain.

Electrek’s Take

Chery has said that offering a mix of ICE and EVs is part of its business plan in Europe, giving the company flexibility in the varied markets where EV uptake lags behind, mostly because governments have offered only minimal incentives compared to say, Germany.

Still, while Europe certainly doesn’t need ICE vehicles from China, Chinese EV expansion is well on its way, with  BYD pushing international growth  with its plans to build an EV factory in Hungary, and other automakers are looking to set up production in Europe as well. Chinese companies MG, BYD, and Chery have also been  scouting sites in Mexico  and talking to officials for better access to the North American market. MG is planning to build a $2 billion factory, while BYD is ramping up investments worth hundreds of millions for its own factory – actions which have set off  alarm bells in Washington .

Europe, too, is considering retroactive tariffs on EVs coming from China after officially finding evidence that China has been heavily subsidizing the EVs it exports to Europe. Photo: Chery

Charge your electric vehicle at home using rooftop solar panels. Find a reliable and competitively priced solar installer near you on EnergySage , for free. They have pre-vetted installers competing for your business, ensuring high-quality solutions and 20-30% savings. It’s free, with no sales calls until you choose an installer. Compare personalized solar quotes online and receive guidance from unbiased Energy Advisers. Get started here .

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Jennifer is a writer and editor for Electrek. Based in France, she has worked previously at Wired, Fast Company, and Agence France-Presse. Send comments, suggestions, or tips her way via X (@JMossalgue) or at [email protected].