🚗 Volkswagen factory in Germany vs Portugal 💶 Labor cost per hour 🇩🇪 Emden: €74 🇵🇹 Palmela: €37 ⏱️ Annual working hours per worker 🇩🇪 Emden: 1,282 🇵🇹 Palmela: 1,419 🤒 Sick leave rate 🇩🇪 Emden: 10.5% 🇵🇹 Palmela: 4.1% 🚙 Cars built per employee per year 🇩🇪 Emden: 29 🇵🇹 Palmela: 39.9 🏭 Factory cost per vehicle 🇩🇪 Emden: €4,850 🇵🇹 Palmela: €2,385 ⚡ Electricity cost per kWh 🇩🇪 Emden: €0.15–0.23 🇵🇹 Palmela: €0.10–0.16 Source: BILD, Deutsche Welle (September 2026)