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VW’s Factory Shutdown Is Costing $13 Million an Hour

  • Sales on both sides of the Atlantic have ground to a halt
  • Auto industry faces massive profit hit from factory shutdowns
The Volkswagen factory stands closed in Wolfsburg, Germany. 

The Volkswagen factory stands closed in Wolfsburg, Germany. 

Photographer: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

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Volkswagen AG’s unprecedented move to halt output on both sides of the Atlantic costs the world’s largest automaker 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion) per week, and Chief Executive Officer Herbert Diess said decisive action is critical to overcome the coronavirus pandemic.