“All German VW plants are affected by these plans. None of them are safe,” Cavallo said during the event, according to the DPA.

Until now, Volkswagen has never closed a plant in its native country. The last time it closed any factory was in 1988, when it shut down its location in Pennsylvania’s Westmoreland County. In July, it weighed closing an Audi factory in Brussels, as demand for high-end electric cars sank.