After personnel optimization in China, auto parts giant Bosch confirms the shutdown of its German factory

Bosch to Cease Production at Wieblingen Plant by 2028, Moving Capacity to China, Thailand, and Other Low-Cost Asian Bases

On February 26, TechNews reported that on February 23, local time, automotive parts giant Bosch reached an agreement with worker representatives to fully cease production at the Wieblingen plant by the end of 2028, affecting approximately 560 jobs. Some of the capacity will be transferred to low-cost bases in China, Thailand, and other Asian countries.

The Wieblingen plant that is closing is part of Bosch’s Intelligent Mobility division, mainly producing automotive connectors, plug-in connectors, and mechanical fasteners.

The reason for shutting down the plant is that demand for traditional fuel vehicle connectors has been steadily declining. Electric vehicles require different connection technologies, and the Wieblingen plant has not secured new large-scale product orders for years, leading to a continuous decrease in capacity utilization.

Additionally, high labor and energy costs in Germany, combined with the rapid rise of low-cost production in China and Southeast Asia, have eroded Europe’s price advantage in traditional connector manufacturing.

Furthermore, Bosch is focusing its resources on high-growth areas such as semiconductors and core components for new energy vehicles. Closing non-core and inefficient factories is an important step for cost control and business restructuring.

Overall, this decision reflects the contraction of Europe’s traditional automotive parts industry and marks the beginning of Bosch’s deep cost-cutting and global capacity restructuring in its Intelligent Mobility division by 2026.

Currently, Bosch is divided into four main segments: Intelligent Mobility, Consumer Goods, Industrial Technology, and Energy and Building Technology.

The most relied-upon segment is automotive parts, or the Intelligent Mobility division, which generated €56 billion in revenue in 2025, accounting for over 60% of the group’s total revenue of €91 billion.

It is worth noting that earlier this month, Bosch China internal employees revealed that the company has begun layoffs, with nearly 200 people affected. The “hardest-hit” areas are Bosch’s fuel vehicle project and hydrogen fuel cell project in Wuxi.

Another employee confirmed the layoffs’ authenticity but stated that the company’s compensation plan is relatively generous, saying, “These recent layoffs are mainly economic layoffs, with full N+4 compensation. In June this year, another round of layoffs will be launched domestically, involving more employees.”