It is getting easier for new entrants to make cars

Wolfsburg, the company town that Volkswagen calls home, is drab. Most executives choose to live in the surrounding countryside or in Berlin, an hour away by train. Its function is to serve a carmaking empire that churned out nearly 11m cars in 2019 (pre-pandemic) and has vied with  Toyota and the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance to be the world’s biggest carmaker. It seems inconceivable that such a mighty firm, epitomised by Wolfsburg’s vast assembly halls, dedicated power station and towering offices adorned with giant company logos, could be under threat.