The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung first reported on the potential sale, citing an unnamed plant manager who said that "With each stage of escalation, the probability that we will be able to produce there again in the foreseeable future decreases."
The automaker, therefore, is said to be looking at various scenarios for its future in Russia. Although VW told Automotive News Europe that no decision has been reached, one option is reportedly to simply sell its assets to a third party.
One unnamed source close to the Volkswagen supervisory board said that "there is a clear will for us to withdraw from the country." With the drop in demand locally, company decisions may be based on more practical matters.
Volkswagen's Kaluga plant was operated by the German automaker and produced the VW Tiguan and the Skoda Octavia. Kaluga was founded in 2009 and at its peak, had 4,200 employees and investments totaling €1 billion ($978 million USD).
In July, Volkswagen shut down operations at its other Russian plant in Nizhny Novgorod. Although owned by the automaker, the plant was operated under contract by GAZ.
Volkswagen is not the only automaker to leave the Russian market in recent months. Earlier this month, Nissan sold its factory and, in September, Toyota officially shut down its Saint Petersburg plant.
