19.05.2026 15:00
German battery manufacturer Varta decided to lay off approximately 350 employees after losing its biggest customer, Apple, for the single-cell batteries it produced for wireless earphones.
According to reports in the German press, Varta's loss of its largest customer for the single-cell (button) batteries it produces for wireless headphones has led to the termination of approximately 350 employees at its facilities in Nördlingen and its headquarters in Ellwangen.
WILL COMPLETELY CEASE PRODUCTION
The company will completely end button cell production at the Nördlingen facility as the supply agreement with the major customer expires at the end of October.
APPLE WILL NOW SOURCE BATTERIES FROM CHINA
Industry sources reported that Varta produced almost exclusively rechargeable "CoinPower" button cells for Apple's "AirPods" headphones in Nördlingen, and that Apple will source these batteries from a Chinese supplier in the future.
Job losses in Nördlingen will be limited to button cell production. The "V4Smart" company, located in the same region and producing lithium-ion cylindrical battery cells for sports cars, will not be affected by this decision. V4Smart, majority-owned by German luxury car manufacturer Porsche AG, will continue its operations on its own production lines.
"OUR EMPLOYEES ARE THE REAL VICTIMS"
Commenting on the termination of the contract, Varta CEO Michael Ostermann stated, "The decision of the main customer has far-reaching consequences for the Nördlingen plant. The economic foundation of our highly specialized production unit here and the associated employment have been eliminated. The real victims of this situation are our local employees, who bear no responsibility for this development."