Digitalization impacts all areas of business at Volkswagen: in addition to the car itself and all mobility-related services, our digitalization initiatives also covers development, vehicle production and the entire work environment on the shop floor and in the office. The most familiar digitalization topics that also play a key role for the brand are big data, the Internet of Things, Industry 4.0, the digital factory or 3D printing. Volkswagen’s ambition is to link up the automotive and digital worlds to the benefit of customers, company and society alike.
Digitalization
Press releases
-
Volkswagen realigns Technical Development: shorter product cycles and faster digital offerings
In its drive to become a technology company, Volkswagen is realigning its Technical Development (TD) division in Wolfsburg. This involves turning the Group’s largest engineering unit with 11,500 employees into a pace-setter for the Volkswagen brand’s transformation into a technology company. The main emphasis is on a complete redesign of the development process, making it interdisciplinary, focused squarely on software, customer requirements and SSP, Volkswagen’s electric platform of the future, and centered on functions rather than individual components. This is expected to cut development time by about a quarter, increase the speed of new software releases and also significantly accelerate manufacturing processes in production. TD will thus become an important pillar for the transformation of development for the Group. -
Digital skills for the future: Volkswagen and CARIAD fund the new coding school ‘42 Berlin’
As a founding partner of ‘42 Wolfsburg’, Volkswagen recognized at an early stage the powerful role that the innovative coding school ‘42’ could play in the company’s transformation to a software-focused technology company. The non-profit coding academy opened its doors last spring and is being strategically and financially supported by Volkswagen in the company’s role as lead partner. Volkswagen is now drawing on this positive experience with ‘42 Wolfsburg’ to expand this commitment to IT training even further. The automaker has now joined forces with its software subsidiary, CARIAD, and such companies as Bayer, Microsoft, SAP and T-Systems to set up a second coding academy in the German capital of Berlin. The first students are scheduled to begin their studies at ‘42 Berlin’ next summer. -
Volkswagen tests 5G for production on its way to smart factories
Volkswagen is taking a further step in the direction of fully networked factories. A local 5G standalone network (“campus network”) is now available at its main plant in Wolfsburg that initially covers the main production development center and the pilot hall. The pilot project will test whether the 5G technology meets the demanding requirements of vehicle production with a view to developing this for industrial series production in the future. A dedicated 5G radio frequency will be used to safeguard secure, delay-free transmission of data. The Transparent Factory in Dresden has also put a so-called “5G island” into operation. Volkswagen undertakes setup and operation of the 5G infrastructure itself in a move designed to build up competitive expertise in using this important technology of the future and ensure data security. -
Volkswagen Group drives forward intelligent mobility solutions
The Volkswagen Group will present solutions for the efficient, sustainable, safe and convenient movement of people and goods at the ITS World Congress in Hamburg, the world’s largest industry event for intelligent transportation systems, from October 11 to 15, 2021. The focus will be on autonomous driving, the intelligent use of vehicle data and the integration of electric vehicles into the power grid. Together with its Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, MOIA, CARIAD, Elli and MAN Truck & Bus brands, the Group will provide a forum for interested parties and experts with live demonstrations of pioneering pilot projects, discussion panels, lectures and expert talks. -
Volkswagen introduces Over-the-Air Updates for all ID. models
Volkswagen is taking the next big step towards becoming a software-oriented mobility provider with its ACCELERATE strategy. Effective immediately, all ID. models will receive regular software updates via mobile data transfer. The updates had previously only been available as part of a test phase for customers who had registered with the “ID. First Movers Club”. The “ID. Software 2.3” offers new functions and optimises existing ones. Networking the entire ID. fleet will allow Volkswagen to lay the foundation for new, customer-oriented business models. Thus far, Volkswagen remains the only high-volume manufacturer to provide this technology for its customers. -
Volkswagen and TraceTronic establish neocx – a joint venture for automated software integration
Volkswagen is strengthening its expertise in the integration of automotive software. At present, high-performance automotive functions can only be achieved by networking many individual software and hardware components. Integrating these components and testing the resulting assembly is a key development task for Volkswagen. As part of its ACCELERATE strategy, Volkswagen is seeking to grow automotive software integration and the digital customer experience as core competencies. The company has therefore established a joint venture with TraceTronic, a world-leading provider of solutions to test and integrate automotive software. Each partner holds 50 percent in the joint venture, named neocx, which will create a continuous integration/continuous testing (CI/CT) factory.
Basic Infos
-
Innovation Talk - The Volkswagen Software Offensive
In brief: Volkswagen’s digital offensive continues to pick up speed: software is the key to the automotive future