(KPL) Volkswagen said Friday it will pause production for a short period at two of its German electric car plants, the latest sign of weakness for the country's struggling auto sector.

Production will be suspended at the Zwickau and Dresden sites in the east of the country for a week in early October, a spokesman for the German auto titan told AFP.

"We are adapting our production programme to the market situation," he added.

Financial news agency Bloomberg also reported that Volkswagen would shut down factory lines for a few days at another electric car plant in Emden in northern Germany.

VW declined to confirm details related to that factory, however.

Carmakers have struggled with stuttering demand for electric vehicles (EVs) in Europe, with consumers reluctant to buy in the face of high up-front costs and sparse charging infrastructure.

Automotive supplier Bosch on Thursday announced it would cut a tenth of its German workforce in part due to weak demand for electric cars, and Ford said earlier this month it would cut up to 1,000 jobs at a Cologne plant that makes EVs.

Volkswagen's Zwickau and Dresden sites make vehicles for Volkswagen's electric ID. family of cars. Zwickau also makes the Q4 e-tron for Audi, one of the 10 brands that belong to the wider Volkswagen Group.

Volkswagen struck a deal with unions last December to cut 35,000 jobs by 2030 as part of cost-saving plans. As well as problems with the EV shift, VW faces fierce competition in key market China and weak demand in Europe.

KPL