All Press Releases
This section contains all current press releases on topics and news items concerning Volkswagen.
TRATON starts cooperation on cybersecurity and AI with RISE
TRATON and the Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE) will start a long-term cooperation that will initially focus on cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence (AI). TRATON and RISE have therefore signed today a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will serve as a platform for a long-term and strategic relationship. As the first step, the cooperation will concentrate on cybersecurity and AI, but the project portfolio will be flexible over time. “Innovation is an important pillar of our Global Champion Strategy. The cooperation with RISE will foster our development of new competences on very important technologies,” says Christian Levin, TRATON Board member responsible for R&D and Chief Operating Officer.
The eighth generation of an icon: World première of the new Golf GTI in Geneva
World première with impact: When Volkswagen launched the first Golf GTI 45 years ago at the International Motor show (IAA) in Frankfurt, no one could have guessed that the three letters G, T and I would go on to identify an icon. But that is exactly what happened. Anyone referring to GTI today is talking about an icon: the Golf GTI. Now Volkswagen is presenting the eighth generation of this worldwide success at the Geneva International Motor Show from 5 to 15 March. This marks the launch of a pure, intelligent and superior high-tech sports car for the digital age.
Volkswagen shows pioneering rural mobility study as contribution to major exhibition in New York
Volkswagen is delighted to show an e-mobility project developed by Volkswagen Group Innovation and Volkswagen Group South Africa. A study of an electric tractor developed in and for Africa to facilitate small-scale agriculture and to increase the productivity of subsistence farmers while also improving power supply and mobility in sub-Saharan Africa. This study is shown for the first time within the exhibition Countryside, The Future at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York.
Volkswagen and partner association agree new sales model for ID. family in Germany
Volkswagen and “Volkswagen und Audi Partnerverband” (Volkswagen and Audi partner association) have agreed a new sales model for the all-electric ID. family in Germany. A format similar to the agency model for major customers that has already proven its worth over many years will also apply for ID. models sold to private customers and small commercial enterprises. Following the go-ahead from retail partners, the agency agreement is to be added to the new dealer contracts that come into effect from April.
Class-action suit: Volkswagen offers settlement solution
The Group Board of Management at Volkswagen AG approved a settlement package during an extraordinary meeting today. The Board said the collapse of settlement negotiations with the Federation of German Consumer Organisations (Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband – vzbv) should not have a negative impact on the company’s customers. For this reason, Volkswagen will offer the previously negotiated settlement to customers who joined the class-action suit and who meet the terms of the settlement package without seeking the support of the vzbv.
World première at Geneva Motor Show: First glimpse of the new Golf GTD
Volkswagen will celebrate the world première of the Golf GTD at the Geneva International Motor Show from 5 to 15 March. Among the technical highlights is the most powerful and – thanks to twin dosing – cleanest turbo diesel injection (TDI) engine ever to be installed in a Golf. It harmonises the confident dynamism of the Golf GTD together with higher efficiency and lowest emissions. The charismatic design of the Golf GTD reflects a unique combination of dynamism and self-confidence.
Volkswagen looking for IT talents for third generation of Faculty 73
The second generation of Faculty 73 begins the qualification program at the AutoUni in Wolfsburg on March 1, 2020. The application phase for the third generation closes on March 8, 2020, with training scheduled to commence on September 1, 2020.
New, innovative solution for ultra-fast charging electric vehicles
The establishment of a dense public network of ultra-fast e-vehicle charging stations can be realized much faster than previously assumed. E.ON and Volkswagen Group Components are giving a new impetus with the prototype of a new, flexible ultra-fast charging station that will be presented in Essen. By integrating a battery system, it will be possible to install ultra-fast charging stations almost anywhere and at significantly lower cost without civil engineering or mains connection.
Wolfsburg plant is investing heavily in digital solutions
The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand is further bolstering the future viability and competitiveness of its main plant in Wolfsburg in the current business year. “We already accomplished a great deal in 2019. To become even more efficient, we want to invest in the digitalisation of our processes and Industry 4.0 measures with a euro sum in the middle double-digit millions range in 2020 alone,” said Stefan Loth, Manager of the Wolfsburg Plant at this year’s production site symposium.
Volkswagen to sell RENK shares to Triton
The Board of Management and Supervisory Board of Volkswagen AG have approved the sale of the 76 percent stake or approximately 5.3 million shares in the listed company RENK AG to Triton for a purchase price of 97.80 EUR per share which is subject to adjustments in relation to dividend. The planned disposal results in a book value gain according to IFRS of approximately 150 million EUR for the Group and implies a cash inflow of approximately 530 million EUR.
In the agreement of the disposal a long-term location and employment guarantee for the three German sites in Augsburg, Rheine and Hanover until December 31st 2026 was agreed between RENK and Triton. Furthermore, Triton agreed to keep the present legal form of the enterprise and the headquarters of RENK AG. All business divisions at the drive technology specialist are to be continued.
The transaction is subject to foreign investment control and merger control approvals and is independent of the outcome of the voluntary takeover offer to outstanding shareholders of RENK announced by Triton. The transaction between Volkswagen and Triton is expected to be completed by early 2021.
TRATON Proposes To Acquire All Outstanding Common Shares Of Navistar For USD 35 Per Share
TRATON SE (“TRATON”), one of the world’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturers, today offered to acquire all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Navistar International Corporation (“Navistar”) (NYSE: NAV) not already owned by TRATON at a price of USD 35 per share in cash. This represents a 45% premium over Navistar’s closing share price of USD 24.11 on January 29, 2020 and a 19% premium over Navistar’s 90-day volume weighted average price of USD 29.40. TRATON currently owns 16.8% of the outstanding common shares of Navistar.
Season-opener: Volkswagen Classic showcases Italian elegance in Bremen
This year’s classic season opens with a genuine highlight for Volkswagen: from 31 January to 02 February, Volkswagen Classic is celebrating the 65th anniversary of the Karmann Ghia Type 14 at the Bremen Classic Motorshow. Italian elegance combined with solid Beetle technology – represented by the last Type 14 Coupé ever made.
R Experience Ice: Perfect drift near the Arctic Circle
Having a ball in the snow with the T-Roc R – during the R Experience Ice in Sweden, drivers drift across snow and ice on frozen Lake Arvidsjaursjön. Their challenge: to pilot the powerful Volkswagen T-Roc R on glaze in the bitter cold of a region located just south of the Arctic Circle.
17,500 participants in Volkswagen dealer congress
Following more than one and a half years of intensive preparations, the “Brand Experience New Volkswagen” dealer congress is starting at the Autostadt. Up to March 18, 2020, a total of 17,500 dealers from more than 50 countries are to come to Wolfsburg, especially to learn about the new Golf 8, the all-electric ID. 3 and Volkswagen’s New Brand Design.
Matthias Rabe CTO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand
Dr. Matthias Rabe, Head of the Technical Development Operations area at the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, is to take on additional responsibilities in Technical Development at the brand effective February 1, 2020. Under the leadership of Dr. Frank Welsch, Board Member for Technical Development, he will be responsible for steering the Technical Development departments and for the transformation of Technical Development in his role as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Volkswagen Passenger Cars. Rabe takes over these responsibilities from Welsch, who heads Technical Development at the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand and also leads Group Research and Development in his role as CTO of Volkswagen AG. At the brand, Welsch will concentrate on design, concepts and strategy at Technical Development.
Social responsibility: Volkswagen Group and Microsoft expand partnership
The Volkswagen Group and Microsoft Germany have agreed to work together on long-term sustainability and social initiatives. The aim is to promote and jointly implement projects in the context of social responsibility issues, such as sustainability, digital education and training, as well as corporate employee engagement for the common good. A framework agreement between the two companies has been signed.
Holocaust Remembrance Day - Volkswagen remembers the victims of National Socialism and the liberation of Auschwitz 75 years ago
Today, on Holocaust Remembrance Day, Volkswagen remembered the millions of people who were deported, consigned to forced labor, persecuted and murdered during the National Socialist dictatorship. At the invitation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Site, HR Board Member Gunnar Kilian took part in the international commemoration event in Poland together with Christoph Heubner, Vice-President of the International Auschwitz Committee. Guests attending the commemoration events at the Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg included Sharon Nazarian, Ph.D., Senior Vice-President, International Affairs of the US human rights organization Anti-Defamation League (ADL) from New York, and Rabbi Dr. Yakov Yosef Harety from the Jewish Orthodox community in Wolfsburg.
170,000 tons of CO2 saved: Carbon Fund strengthens climate protection
2020 The Volkswagen Group has launched its own Carbon Fund. The CO2 fund, which is endowed with €25 million annually, is available to all twelve Group brands. They use it to finance their own climate protection projects at their locations worldwide.
Volkswagen donates $2.5 million to Australian bush fire relief and recovery
Volkswagen has today announced the donation of AUD$2.5 million to aid in the relief and recovery of the catastrophic bush fires that continue to burn in eastern and southern Australia.
75th anniversary of the liberation – International Auschwitz Committee and Volkswagen remember Holocaust victims
On Monday, January 27, the liberation of Auschwitz 75 years ago will be commemorated throughout the world. During these days, the International Auschwitz Committee (IAC) and Volkswagen will be holding commemorative events in remembrance of the millions of people who were deported, consigned to forced labor, persecuted and murdered during the Nazi dictatorship. On Monday, HR Board Member Gunnar Kilian will be laying a wreath for the victims of National Socialism on the stone of remembrance at Volkswagen’s Wolfsburg plant. In the afternoon, Kilian will be taking part in the international commemoration event in Poland.
WeShare expands in Europe
WeShare, Volkswagen and ŠKODA’s free-floating car sharing service, is to expand into seven further cities in Germany and other European countries in 2020. Prague and Hamburg in the spring are to be followed by Paris, Madrid, Budapest, Munich and Milan in the course of the year. In all these cities, WeShare will be offering an all-electric fleet with a total of about 8,400 electric vehicles. In Prague and Budapest, WeShare will cooperate with ŠKODA. In the other major cities in Germany, France, Spain and Italy, WeShare vehicles on offer will include Volkswagen’s e-Golf and e-up! as well as the ID.3 from the end of the year. WeShare already started operations in Berlin with 1,500 e-Golf cars in 2019 and the company now has 50,000 registered customers in the city.
Volkswagen upping use of green electricity at its plants
The Volkswagen brand is making good progress towards its target of CO2-neutral production by 2050. The company has now set itself further ambitious targets for 2020 in order to expand the percentage of externally sourced energy from renewable sources at its plants. Andreas Tostmann, Volkswagen Brand Board of Management Member for Production and Logistics, said: “We want to significantly increase the amount of green energy bought in at our plants this year from 70 to 90 per cent.” Besides that, Volkswagen is consistently focussing on natural gas for its own power generation and is switching its power plants in Wolfsburg from coal to gas.
“I’m cold” – The new Golf responds with intelligent climate control
Volkswagen models represent modern functionality and the brand’s typically easy orientation inside the vehicle. With the new Golf, operation is now even more intuitive. A visible and tangible example is the control for the 3-zone automatic air conditioner “Air Care Climatronic”. This newly designed air conditioning system has a Smart Climate menu that can be used to activate specific individual functions such as “Warm feet” or “Clear view” – not only at the press of a button, but also using voice control. The new model is therefore the first Golf to respond interactively to the wishes of the driver and passenger.
Volkswagen Group Refugee Aid: Package of measures helps 5,000 people in need
In Wolfsburg today, Frank Witter, Group Board Member for Finance and IT and Volkswagen Group Refugee Aid sponsor, welcomed the participants of the third intake under the “Train-ing Perspectives for Refugees” project. They will take part in an entry-level qualification program at Volkswagen tailored specifically to their requirements that includes an intensive language course and practical and theoretical vocational preparation as well as an internship at the company where they are training.
TRATON with strong vehicle sales in 2019
In 2019, TRATON SE in its Industrial Business sold 242,200 vehicles of the MAN, Scania, and Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus brands, exceeding the prior-year figure by 4%. This positive development was driven among other things by high demand for trucks in Europe in the first half of the year and a sharp increase in demand in Brazil. However, the market for trucks cooled further in the course of the year, especially in Europe (EU28+2). That is reflected by the fact that the Group’s order intake declined during the year, falling by 7% compared to 2018.
Volkswagen Group records higher deliveries in 2019
Despite shrinking overall markets, the Volkswagen Group grew its worldwide deliveries by 1.3 percent to 10,974,600 vehicles in 2019. Market shares were expanded in all regions, in some cases significantly. Volume growth was achieved in Europe (+3.9 percent) and South America (+3.2 percent) while there were slight falls in North America (-0.5 percent) and Asia-Pacific (-0.4 percent). Strong growth was recorded with electric vehicles. As a re-sult of many new models within the framework of the Group’s electric offensive and grow-ing interest on the part of customers, there was a rise of around 80 percent to more than 140,000 vehicles.
Volkswagen Passenger Cars brings 2019 to a successful close
In 2019, the Volkswagen brand delivered 6,278,300 vehicles throughout the world, exceeding the prior-year figure by 0.5 percent. In a shrinking overall market, the brand therefore significantly expanded its market share. Volume growth was achieved in Europe, South America, Asia-Pacific and the USA. Compared with the previous year, customers’ interest in electrified models grew considerably. More than 80,000 electric vehicles were delivered, corresponding to a marked increase of about 60 percent.
Volkswagen ART4ALL – opening the world of art and culture for everyone
Like every first Thursday of the month and most recently on January 2, visitors to Hamburger Bahnhof – Museum für Gegenwart in Berlin have benefited from a special opportunity: thanks to the 22nd edition of Volkswagen ART4ALL they enjoyed free admission to the internationally renowned contemporary art museum between the hours of 4 and 8 pm. These well-attended monthly exhibition days are supplemented by an individually curated cultural program as well as guided tours and workshops. The feedback coming from visitors of all age groups and backgrounds have been positive throughout.
In the year of the European Football Championship: Volkswagen launches UNITED special edition models
Volkswagen is getting into European Football Championship 2020 fever by offering new special edition models: up!, e-up!, Polo, T-Cross, Golf Variant, Golf Sportsvan, T-Roc, Tiguan Allspace, Touran and Sharan are now all available as a special edition UNITED model. Optional equipment includes the UNITED Plus package and the R-Line Exterior package. Depending on the particular models, customers will also enjoy maximum savings of up to €3,400.
Volkswagen and diconium further expand their corporation
The Volkswagen Group and the founding shareholders of diconium have agreed on the acquisition by Volkswagen of the remaining shares in diconium. By acquiring all of the shares in the company, Volkswagen is strengthening its capabilities in the field of digital sales solutions. These include the development of a global online sales platform which will allow customers of all Group brands to purchase and manage digital services and on demand functions for their fully connected vehicles in the future. For this purpose, diconium will be contributing its key know-how to the Car.Software organization of the Volkswagen Group, which is responsible for developing software for the vehicle, digital ecosystems and customer-oriented functions for sales across the Group brands. The completion of the transaction is still subject to approval by the anti-trust authorities.
Test track on the A39 now operating: Volkswagen collects anonymised data for assisted driving
Starting signal for a forward-looking cooperative project called “Testfeld Niedersachsen” (Lower Saxony Testing Area) On the A39 motorway (Autobahn 39) between the Wolfsburg-Königslutter junction and the municipality of Cremlingen, a seven kilometre-long test track for collecting traffic flow information opened today. On the section operated by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), cameras will record anonymised data on the driving behaviour of different kinds of road users. Using the stretch of road, which has been financed by the State of Lower Saxony and the DLR, Volkswagen hoped to gather new knowledge for the purposes of assisted driving.
Limited to 1000 units: new Arteon R-Line Edition is the most exclusive model in the series
Volkswagen launches Arteon boasting a unique character: with the Arteon R-Line Edition, limited to 1000 units, Volkswagen focuses even more on the dynamics and travel qualities of the Gran Turismo. Exclusive design features, extensive standard equipment and a selection of four powerful turbocharged engines with 140 kW/190 PS to 200 kW/272 PS characterise the special edition, which is available from EUR 55,970 (in Germany).
Volkswagen passes the mark of 250,000 electric vehicles
In mid-December at the Autostadt, the Volkswagen brand delivered the 250,000th electric car since the introduction of the e-up! in 2013. The brand’s electrified model range has been continually expanded in the following years: e-Golf and Golf GTE followed in 2014, the Passat GTE and Passat Variant GTE in 2015. Since 2018, the Passat and Tiguan have been available as plug-in hybrids in China, where they were followed by battery electric versions of the Bora and Lavida this year. The best-selling electric car has been the e-Golf with 104,000 units delivered, followed by the Golf GTE (51,000), Passat Variant GTE (42,000) and e-up! (21,000). Half of the customers opted for a battery electric vehicle and the other half for a plug-in hybrid.
Volkswagen significantly raises electric car production forecast for 2025
Volkswagen’s electric offensive has picked up speed as planned. With the world premiere of the new all-electric ID.3 in September and the start of production at the Zwickau electric vehicle plant in November, the Volkswagen brand has already reached major milestones. 2020 will be dominated by the market introduction of the ID. family. The first ID.3 cars will appear on Europe’s roads in the summer. Over the next few years, Volkswagen intends to become the world market leader in e-mobility and is investing €33 billion in these efforts throughout the group by 2024, including €11 billion in the Volkswagen brand. Under the latest plans, the strategic target of one million electric cars is expected to be reached end of 2023, two years earlier than previously predicted. The Volkswagen brand expects 1.5 million electric cars to be produced in 2025.
World première: Revolution in the underground car park – Volkswagen lets its charging robots loose
Volkswagen provides a glimpse into the future in which the search for charging stations for electric cars comes to an end. Volkswagen Group Components’ mobile charging robot takes over this task – and drives to the electric car completely autonomously.
Volkswagen making good headway with transformation
The Volkswagen brand will be launching 34 new models worldwide next year, including twelve SUVs and eight electric or hybrid vehicles. Volkswagen COO Ralf Brandstätter commented: “We are at the beginning of a new era. We mean business with e-mobility. The brand will be investing €19 billion in future technologies through 2024, €11 billion alone in the further development of e-mobility. And Volkswagen starts the biggest electric offensive in the automotive industry next year: The ID.3 goes on sale in the summer, soon followed by the ID.Next, our first electric SUV. Our ID. family makes emission-free mobility accessible to many people for the first time. That is New Volkswagen.”
Top marks for the new Golf: five stars in the Euro NCAP test
Dream start with five stars: the new Golf has achieved the highest score in the Euro NCAP crash test (European New Car Assessment Programme). Auditors gave the new compact model very high ratings on all criteria – for the protection of adult occupants, children and vulnerable road users as well as in terms of assistance systems.
Car.Software organization strengthens Board of Management
The Volkswagen Group’s Car.Software organization is strengthening its Board of Management. With effect from January 1, 2020, Björn Goerke is to be the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the Car.Software organization. To date, Goerke has been Chief Technology Officer and President SAP Cloud Platform with the software company SAP. In his new function, he is to report to Christian Senger, Volkswagen brand Board of Management Member with responsibility for Digital Car & Services and CEO of the Car.Software Organization.
20 years of Place of Remembrance: permanent exhibition investigates early history of Volkswagen and Nazi forced Labor
This December, the “Place of Remembrance of Forced Labor in the Volkswagen Factory” reaches its 20th anniversary. The historic exhibition explores the early history of Volkswagen and forced labor during the Nazi dictatorship. The permanent exhibition in a former air raid shelter of the present Volkswagen plant at Wolfsburg is visited by about 3,500 people each year. Guests from across the globe not only come from the Volkswagen Group but also from other companies, schools and universities. They are guided through the exhibition by members of the Volkswagen Heritage team. To register for a tour, potential visitors only need to send an email to history@volkswagen.de.
‘Project Qatar Mobility’: Self-driving shuttles set to take Doha's local public transport to the next level in 2022
For the first time ever a cutting-edge fleet of self-driving Level 4 electric shuttles will usher in a new era of urban mobility in a capital city in 2022: Earlier today in Doha, representatives of Volkswagen AG and the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) signed the ‘Project Qatar Mobility’. The goal is to develop a ground-breaking autonomous transport project and transform the future of urban mobility to a sustainable and commercial deployment of AD shuttles and bus services – even beyond 2022. Fostering a cross-brand collaboration as blueprint for future Autonomous Driving (AD) solutions, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Scania, MOIA and AID-Autonomous Intelligent Driving will play an important role in this project. During the largest sporting event in the world, Qatar will thus be the venue for the world’s first emission-free, electric and autonomous public transport system.
Volkswagen Group honors its best apprentices
The Volkswagen Group today presented its “Best Apprentice Awards 2019” to its best apprentices from all over the world, honoring their outstanding performance and professional competence. The prizes for the 49 young talents with 19 vocations were presented by the Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, Dr. Herbert Diess, the Member of the Board of Management with responsibility for Human Resources, Gunnar Kilian, and the President of the Global Group Works Council, Bernd Osterloh.
Volkswagen introduces new remuneration model for 18,000 managers worldwide
Volkswagen is introducing a new remuneration system for managers in the Group from 2020. The new model applies for some 18,000 managers worldwide and is based on the revised system for the Board of Management and top management already in effect. The central goal is to strengthen entrepreneurship. The new model takes return targets into account and establishes a link to share prices, it reinforces the Group idea, fosters cooperation between Group brands, companies and regions. At the same time, the system strengthens integrity and compliant conduct because it includes the possibility of taking individual wrongdoing into account when determining the variable remuneration element.
Volkswagen Group again delivers more vehicles in November
In November, the Volkswagen Group delivered 988,800 vehicles to customers throughout the world, corresponding to a rise of 5.1 percent compared with November 2018. The Group therefore once again grew its market share in all key regions, in some cases considerably. The regions concerned included China, the Group’s largest single market. The Group boosted deliveries there by 5.1 percent despite shrinkage in the overall market. Significant growth was also recorded in Europe (+6.4 percent) and Germany (+9.1 percent). These rises were markedly higher than the moderate falls as a result of WLTP in November 2018. The Volkswagen Group also succeeded in expanding its market shares in the regions of North and South America. Dr. Christian Dahlheim, Head of Volkswagen Group Sales: “In November, the brands of the Volkswagen Group once again showed strong delivery performance. For the period from January to November, we exceeded the prior-year level for the first time this year, despite considerable adverse effects from the markets. We are confident that we will bring 2019 to a successful close.”
Refreshingly different: the T-Roc Cabriolet is now available for order
Volkswagen is opening up a whole new dimension in its model range as pre-sales of the new T-Roc Cabriolet now get underway. The open-top variant of the successful crossover T-Roc embodies a concept that is unique in the compact class: the raised seating position of an SUV, a strikingly extrovert design and the open-air feel of a convertible. On top of this, the new T-Roc Cabriolet features the latest generation of infotainment. Enhanced comfort is ensured by numerous assistance systems, some of which are optional. Prices for the new compact CUV start at €27,495 with the 1.0 TSI 85 kW/115 PS and 6-speed manual gearbox.
The sound of e-mobility: ID.3 attracts attention with its own driving sound
As of July 2019 all newly registered electric vehicles must produce an artificial driving sound. Yesterday, the ID.3’s sound design was presented at the DRIVE. Forum in Berlin as part of the Future Sounds event. The almost silent, electric drive offers great potential for brand-specific sound design that not only draws attention to the car, but also to the brand. Consequently, Volkswagen-branded electric vehicles could soon be recognisable by their sound.
Further improvement in mood among employees
Volkswagen employees see the company on the right track as regards cooperation, leadership and integrity. This is the conclusion drawn from the most recent Volkswagen Stimmungsbarometer (opinion barometer), an employee survey that regularly gives employees throughout the company the opportunity to express their views on topics such as leadership, cooperation, integrity and culture while retaining their anonymity. The survey was conducted for the eleventh time in 2019 over a period of several weeks in October and November, and the results for Volkswagen AG’s German plants are now available.
Volkswagen passenger cars grows deliveries in November
The Volkswagen brand delivered 586,400 vehicles worldwide in November, 3.9 percent more than in November 2018. Volkswagen made further gains in market shares in a shrinking overall global market. That also applies to China, the brand’s largest single market, where Volkswagen grew deliveries by 4.0 percent despite the shrinkage in the overall Chinese market. Significant growth was also recorded in the USA (+9.1 percent) and Brazil (+12.3 percent). Developments in Germany were even more gratifying, with growth of 20.2 percent.
Volkswagen Passenger Cars introduces new maintenance concept
This week, the Volkswagen brand is introducing a new maintenance concept for its vehicles with the launch of the Golf 8. Over the course of next year, the concept will be extended to all the models of the brand. Achim Schaible, Head of the After Sales & Dealer Network of the Volkswagen brand, explains: “The high quality of our vehicles allows us to double the inspection service interval in Europe to 24 months. We are therefore one of the few volume brands to call our customers into the workshops less frequently. In addition, our new standard inspection service is to replace the previous service. This way, we are considerably simplifying the maintenance program and making it more transparent for our customers and partners.”
The new benchmark in the compact class: sales of the new Golf get underway
Sales of the new Golf get underway in Germany today. Volkswagen dealerships will be presenting the latest edition of Europe’s most popular car in their showrooms, starting this Friday. It is the most progressive Golf of all time. The standard features of the basic version of the new Golf include a digital cockpit, access to online services, LED headlights and LED tail light clusters as well as a number of assist systems. The Golf is also the first ever Volkswagen to make use of traffic swarm intelligence via Car2X to enable advance hazard warnings. The new Golf will be available with four sustainable TSI and TDI engines at its launch, with fuel consumption reduced by up to 17%. During the launch phase, the engines can be configured with the new “Life” equipment line. The basic price of the Golf Life 1.5 TSI with 96 kW/130 PS: €27,510.
JETTA brand successfully launched in Chinese market
Volkswagen has successfully launched its sub-brand JETTA in China with the new SUV VS5 and the VA3 sedan. Since market entry in September, nearly 30,000 vehicles were delivered to customers. This makes the JETTA launch the most successful recent brand introduction in China, taking into account the first three months of sales. Almost 80 percent of JETTA deliveries were SUVs. With the new JETTA brand, Volkswagen is targeting young Chinese customers who are looking for an entry into the world of Volkswagen.
Personnel changes at Volkswagen Design
There are to be leadership changes at Volkswagen Design: Klaus Bischoff, Chief Designer at the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, will take over as Head of Group Design effective April 1, 2020, initially serving in both capacities. Jozef Kabaň will lead Design at the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand from July 1, 2020. Michael Mauer, who currently heads both Group Design and Design at Porsche, will concentrate on his responsibilities at Porsche once the changes have come into effect.
In brief: Key components for a new era – the battery system
Up to 550 kilometres with just one battery charge: Volkswagen’s fully electric ID.3 has impressive driving dynamics and great ranges. It is the first model of a product line of vehicles based on the modular electric drive matrix (MEB). Its fast charging capability allows the ID.3 to be recharged with 100 kW charging power within 30 minutes for a range of around 290 kilometres (WLTP). This is made possible by the heart of the electric vehicle: the battery. The ID.3 is fitted with a high-voltage battery system which looks similar to a bar of chocolate. Up to twelve battery modules are fitted and connected with each other inside the system. The Volkswagen Group Components plant in Brunswick will produce up to 500,000 of these energy storage devices per year in future. But how does such a battery system work?
Production of the T-Roc Cabriolet begins in Osnabrück
Production of Volkswagen's new T-Roc Cabriolet starts today at the Osnabrück plant. The plant's facilities, including the production and logistics operations, were extensively optimised in advance for the Volkswagen brand's only convertible.
ʺLife happens with a Golfʺ: New Volkswagen marketing campaign starts on 6 December
On 6 December the Volkswagen brand is starting a new marketing campaign for the Golf 8 in Germany. The claim: ʺLife happens with a Golfʺ. In the first quarter of 2020 the campaign will be rolled out to further countries in Europe. It comprises a total of more than 450 elements, including digital assets, social media content, commercials and out-of-home advertising. The campaign was developed by Voltage, the Volkswagen lead agency for Europe.
Volkswagen ID.R is “Electric Racing Car of the Year”
The “Electric Racing Car of the Year” award was presented to the fully-electrically driven Volkswagen ID.R at the “Race Night” on the eve of the Essen Motor Show. This year’s auto show (30 November to 8 December 2019) is once again proving to be a major attraction for car and motorsport fans from all over Europe. The prize, awarded by Auto Bild sportscars and Auto Bild motorsport, acknowledges the technology and successes of the 500 kW (680 PS) electric racing car, which has set five records in four countries, on three continents, in the past two years.
Mobility Makers and Shuttle Fleets: What Volkswagen is planning for the 2020 European Football Championships
The eyes of the football world are set on Bucharest this Saturday: In the Romanian capital, the six preliminary groups of the 2020 European Football Championship will be drawn. As the official mobility partner, Volkswagen is eagerly awaiting this tournament, which is being staged for the first time across the entire continent.
Race car meets production model: Volkswagen ID.R and ID.3 at the Essen Motor Show
The ID.R electric racing car and the new ID.3 will meet at the Essen Motor Show (30 November to 08 December 2019). The prototype for the racetrack and the large-scale production model for road use will be presented to the public in Hall 3 of the largest tuning fair in Europe. At first glance, the two electro pioneers represent two vehicle concepts that could hardly be more different. However, the ID.R, which has been setting records around the world since 2018, and the Volkswagen ID.3, which was presented for the first time in September, share more than just the electric drivetrain. The development of the ID.R and its appearances have provided valuable information for the series development of the ID. family. At the same time, production development supported the Volkswagen Motorsport team with know-how gained during large-scale production.
Volkswagen delivers 100,000th e-Golf
Volkswagen yesterday delivered the 100,000th e-Golf in the Gläserne Manufaktur Dresden. The model was launched in 2014 as the Volkswagen brand’s second battery electric vehicle (BEV) after the e-up! (2013). The e-Golf is one of the most successful electric vehicles in Europe and is also popular with customers in other countries – including the USA. The new ID.3 will be assembled in Dresden from fall 2020. In addition, the location is to be made even more attractive as a destination for visitors and customers.
Volkswagen is making faster progress towards sustainable and efficient production
Volkswagen Group is making faster progress towards sustainable and efficient production. At the same time, the company continues to make good progress towards reducing its production costs. Oliver Blume, Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Group and Chairman of the Board of Porsche AG says: "We are producing more environmentally friendly than ever. From 2010 to the end of 2019, the environmental impact per produced vehicle is expected to drop by more than 37 per cent.” To address offsetting trends, performance measures estimated at one billion euros are also being made in production, and productivity is increasing by six per cent. At the same time, however, Blume emphasises that further efficiency measures must not be neglected.
Ready for the electric future: Volkswagen is focusing its motorsport strategy on e-mobility
Volkswagen is focusing its motorsport strategy on electric mobility. A clear emphasis on fully electric racing cars will be backed up by the farewell to factory-backed commitments using internal combustion engines. "The role as a technological pioneer will continue to be taken over by the ID.R electric race car, which has set important milestones for electric mobility with records at Pikes Peak (USA), Nürburgring (D), Goodwood (GB) and Tianmen (CN). In addition, Volkswagen Motorsport will develop new motorsport concepts for the ID. family on the basis of the Modular Electric Drive Kit (MEB), on which numerous electric production vehicles will be based.
Handover of the first Volkswagen T-Roc R in the Autostadt to customer
High performance combined with exceptionally sporty design – the top-of-the-line products of each Volkswagen model series are christened with the letter “R.” With the T-Roc R, the first top model bearing the characteristic R signet was handed over to its new owner at the Autostadt in Wolfsburg. A new era has just begun for Volkswagen R. The new T-Roc R opens a model offensive for the company’s own sports brand, which will present further Volkswagen R models in 2020.
New engine added to the T-Cross range: high-performance model now available to order
Volkswagen’s T-Cross gets its most powerful engine yet. The compact SUV is now available to order with a 1.5-litre TSI with 110 kW/150 PS. The new power unit adds a unique, sporty option to the existing T-Cross engine range. Prices for the T-Cross with the new top-of-the-range engine start at €25,690 in Germany.
Volkswagen Group China to invest over 4 billion Euro in 2020
Volkswagen Group China, together with its Chinese partners, plans to invest over 4 billion Euro next year, with around 40 percent of this investment going towards e-mobility. This will accel-erate the Group’s electrification strategy, which will be strengthened next year through the start of production of models based on the modular electric drive toolkit MEB in Anting (SAIC VOLKSWAGEN) and Foshan (FAW-Volkswagen). Both factories are specifically designed for manufacturing all-electric cars.
Volkswagen and Hamburg extend strategic mobility partnership
The strategic mobility partnership between the Volkswagen Group and the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg is to be extended. The focus lies on support for e-mobility, innovative mobility services, intelligent transport networking and the use of self-driving vehicles. The aim is to bring about a lasting improvement in inner city quality of life through innovative mobility solutions. In concrete terms, this means that under the second phase of the partnership, WeShare is to be launched in Hamburg from spring 2020, following on from its successful premier in Berlin; the service will consist of an all-electric fleet of e-Golf and e-up!, to be joined by the ID.3 at a later date.
Volkswagen strengthens new software organization
Volkswagen strengthens its Car.Software organization with its Group responsibility for in-car software. Starting January 1, 2020, the Car.Software organization will operate as an in-dependent business unit. As a Group company, the Car.Software organization will centralize the associates and subsidiaries within the Group that develop car software and software for the digital ecosystems. Initially, around 3,000 digital experts from the software-related associates and subsidiaries will be grouped together in this unit. The Car.Software organization will be based at Audi Electronics Venture GmbH, and will incorporate other German sites, for example in Berlin, Bochum, the Ingolstadt area, the Stuttgart area, and in Wolfsburg. International locations of the software organization include Seattle and Beijing. Going forward, digital experts from the different Group brands and regions will also work together under the mantle of the Car.Software organization.
Personnel changes in the brand Board of Management
Alexander Seitz, most recently CFO at Audi, becomes the Board member responsible for Controlling and Accounting at the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand effective March 1, 2020. In this function, he succeeds Dr. Arno Antlitz, who in turn becomes the Board member responsible for Finance at Audi. Furthermore, Murat Aksel, most recently Senior Vice President Purchasing and Supplier Network Americas at BMW, will take up the position of Board member for Procurement at the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand effective July 1, 2020. Aksel succeeds Dirk Große-Loheide, who moves to Audi as the Board of Management member responsible for Procurement effective from the earlier date of April 1, 2020. These upcoming changes ensure the dissemination and constant exchange of knowledge and experience in top management functions, as elsewhere, within the Volkswagen Group and across brand boundaries.
World premiere: ID. SPACE VIZZION concept car displays perfect aerodynamics and ample space in Los Angeles
On the eve of the Los Angeles Auto Show, Volkswagen presented the seventh concept car of the ID. family. The ID. SPACE VIZZION follows the ID., ID. CROZZ, ID. BUZZ, ID. VIZZION, ID. BUGGY and ID. ROOMZZ. Like all the ID. models, the new ID. SPACE VIZZION will be fully electric. Its design and form embody a fresh approach. One particularly striking feature is the front section with airflow openings, enabling a drag coefficient of 0.24. The ID. SPACE VIZZION combines the aerodynamic qualities of a Gran Turismo with the generous interior space of an SUV – thereby defining an entirely new segment.
Volkswagen to be the first company to use low-emission LNG drive for overseas car freighters from January 2020
Volkswagen Group Logistics is the first company to use two car freighters powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) in overseas traffic. The two charter ships of Siem Car Carriers were launched last Friday in Xiamen, China.
Strong deliveries for Volkswagen Group in October
The Volkswagen Group delivered 949,800 vehicles to customers worldwide in October, corresponding to a significant rise of 12.2 percent compared with October 2018. The Group further expanded its market share in all core regions, in some cases quite substantially. This was the case, for example, in China, the Group’s largest single market, where Group brands grew deliveries 6.6 percent despite a shrinking overall market. Strong increases were once again recorded in Europe (+25.5 percent) and Germany (+41.5 percent) compared with the weaker performance in October 2018 as a result of WLTP. The Volkswagen Group also succeeded in expanding its market shares in the regions of North and South America in shrinking overall markets. Dr. Christian Dahlheim, Head of Volkswagen Group Sales: “The Volkswagen Group brands produced a strong delivery performance in October. We outperformed the market in all core regions and once again substantially expanded our market shares, especially in China, our largest market. It is also pleasing to see that we made noticeable gains in our home market of Germany over and above making up the ground lost a year ago as a result of WLTP.”
Joint development of Drömling - Volkswagen Group signs Letter of Intent with Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt
The joint working group Drömling of Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, which rep-resents local authorities, associations and regional stakeholder groups, met today in the Autostadt. In this context, Volkswagen signed a letter of intent with representatives of the federal states to further develop the Drömling into a UNESCO bio-sphere reserve.
The ID.3 to be assembled in the Gläserne Manufaktur in Dresden from fall 2020
Volkswagen continues to step up the pace of its electric offensive: The ID.3 will be assembled at the Gläserne Manufaktur in Dresden in addition to the Zwickau plant. This was announced today by Gunnar Killian, Volkswagen AG Board Member for Human Resources, at a works meeting in Dresden. The ID.3 is the first model in the latest generation that Volkswagen is putting on the road under its global electric offensive. The Gläserne Manufaktur is to evolve into a Center of Future Mobility where innovative technologies are developed and tested in collaboration with industry partners and startups. Efforts to pursue new areas of business such as the function testing station are to be intensified. Vehicle collection is to be significantly expanded, and the location is to be made even more attractive as a destination for visitors and customers.
Volkswagen confirms strategic financial targets of Together 2025+
The Volkswagen Group has in principle confirmed the strategic targets set out in its strategy Together 2025+ for operating return on sales, return on investment, capex ratio and R&D cost ratio, net cashflow and net liquidity within the Planning Round 68. “We are continuing to pursue our ambitious strategic financial targets for 2020 and 2025. We also confirm our outlook for 2019. The Volkswagen Group remains very robust in the face of increasingly difficult economic conditions. However, we will have to apply systematic cost discipline to reach our long-term goals,” Frank Witter, the member of the Volkswagen Group Board of Management responsible for Finance and IT, said in describing the impact of Planning Round 68 on the strategic financial targets.
Markus Duesmann appointed as new member of Volkswagen Group Board of Management
At its meeting today, Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft’s Supervisory Board resolved to appoint Mr. Markus Duesmann (50) as new member of the Group Board of Management.
Volkswagen investing strongly in the future
The Volkswagen Group is continuing to invest strongly in its future. As part of Planning Round 68, the investment plan for 2020 to 2024* has been drawn up. The plan was dis-cussed during today’s meeting of the Supervisory Board and approved. The Group plans to spend nearly EUR 60 billion on the future areas of hybridization, electric mobility and digitalization in the next five years. This amounts to slightly more than 40 percent of the company’s investments in property, plant and equipment and all research and development costs during the planning period. Compared with the Group’s last Planning Round, it represents an increase of around 10 percentage points. The Group intends to invest around EUR 33 billion of this figure in electric mobility alone.
In brief: More than 200 horses in a sports bag – the electric drive in the Volkswagen ID.3
The ID.3 heralds the beginning of a new era of electric mobility for Volkswagen. The electric drive, which is based on the modular electric drive matrix (MEB), is produced by Volkswagen Group Components. It’s not only less complex than a conventional petrol or diesel engine, but also compact enough to fit in a sports bag. But how does the electric drive, produced at the component site in Kassel, actually work?
Volkswagen breaks ground on expansion for electric vehicle production in United States
Volkswagen of America marked the start of construction for its electric vehicle production facility. The Chattanooga site, where production begins in 2022, will be Volkswagen's North American assembly base for electric vehicles on the Modular Electric Drive Matrix (MEB). The company also announced it intends to build a plant for the assembly of battery packs for EVs at the Chattanooga site.
Volkswagen and BASF honour battery researcher Dr. Kimberly See
This year’s international Science Award Electrochemistry was presented to Dr Kimberly See of the California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, California, USA). She was honoured yesterday evening at the Science Award Electrochemistry & Science Dialogue held in Wolfsburg’s Autostadt. The award has been presented seven times as a joint initiative of Volkswagen and BASF and is aimed at young scientists of excellence. Prizes total €70,000, of which €50,000 is awarded to the overall winner.
Volkswagen Passenger Cars grows deliveries in October
The Volkswagen brand delivered 562,200 vehicles worldwide in October, 8.8 percent more than in October 2018. Volkswagen made further significant gains in market shares in a shrinking overall global market. There was also growth in China (+7.5 percent), the brand’s largest single market, and Brazil (+1.6 percent), with deliveries rising despite shrinking overall markets. Following the weaker figures in October 2018 as a result of the changeover to WLTP, there were further sharp increases in deliveries in the European market (+23.4 percent) and the home market of Germany (+40 percent).
TRATON publishes its “Innovation Stories”
The new print and online publication gives insights into the world of TRATON
Highlight of the new Golf – The Digital Cockpit
The new Golf will shortly come to market with a revolutionary cockpit that is clearer, neater, completely digitalised, and connected online, and that will make operating this bestseller more intuitive than ever.
Volkswagen presents Sara Frenkel Award for Respect, Tolerance and Moral Courage to young citizens for the first time
Volkswagen today presented the Sara Frenkel Award for Respect, Tolerance and Moral Courage for the first time. The winners come from Wolfsburg, including young people from the Carl Hahn and Anne-Marie Tausch Vocational Colleges as well as young shop stewards from Volkswagen and a project team of the Aids-Hilfe charity. They received the awards for ideas to strengthen respect and tolerance in society and initiatives to oppose violence and racism with moral courage.
Volkswagen starts pre-production in first plant purely focused on e-mobility in China
The new plant of the SAIC VOLKSWAGEN joint venture has been completed. It is purely built for the production of all electric vehicles on Volkswagen’s Modular Electric Drive Matrix (MEB). Celebrating the start of pre-production, a first China-specific all--electric Volkswagen ID. model rolled off the production line. The plant sets the next milestone in Volkswagen’s global electrification strategy. The start of series production of all-electric cars based on the MEB platform in Anting is scheduled for October 2020.
Global Social Business Summit Berlin - The Gathering 2019: Volkswagen promotes ideas for social and sustainable business
Social, economic and ecological: At the Global Social Business Summit Berlin - The Gathering 2019 (GSBS) - 550 representatives from business, science, politics and society are discussing business models that pursue social and ecological goals and are profitable at the same time. The conference with participants from 54 countries is taking place on 7 and 8 November in Berlin. For the fourth time, Volkswagen Group is supporting the annual conference with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus and is represented by three members of the Group Management Board: Hiltrud Werner, Integrity and Law, Gunnar Kilian, Human Resources, and An-dreas Renschler, Truck & Bus brand group and CEO of TRATON SE.
New electric family member: ID. SPACE VIZZION will be presented at the Los Angeles Auto Show
Volkswagen will debut the ID. SPACE VIZZION to the world on the eve of the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 19th 2019—a zero-emissions vehicle for a new era, new thinking and new mobility. The ID. SPACE VIZZION is a wagon of tomorrow that combines the aerodynamic characteristics of a Gran Turismo with the spaciousness of an SUV. Stylistically, the ID. SPACE VIZZION follows the design DNA of the ID. family, yet has a completely independent and progressive character.
Volkswagen initiates system changeover to e-mobility – Production of the ID.3 starts in Zwickau
Volkswagen’s electric offensive is picking up speed: Today saw the official start of series production of the ID.3. The first car in the new generation of electric vehicles (EVs) – a white ID.3 – rolled off the assembly line watched by Federal Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel and Group CEO Dr. Herbert Diess. The Volkswagen Group plans to sell some 22 million EVs worldwide by 2028, thus helping EVs make the breakthrough. Zwickau has a key role to play in this endeavor: For the first time, a large car manufacturing plant is being entirely converted to e-mobility, with investments running at €1.2 billion. Zwickau is already scheduled to produce some 100,000 electric models next year. From 2021, up to 330,000 EVs will leave the assembly line each year, making the site the largest and most efficient EV factory in Europe and a trailblazer in the transformation of Volkswagen’s global production network.
9M 2019: TRATON increases unit sales by 8% to 179,100 vehicles
TRATON GROUP today presented its results for the first nine months of 2019. Unit sales climbed by 8% to 179,100 (prior-year level: 166,300) vehicles, driven by sharp gains in the core markets of Brazil and Europe (especially Germany, France and the United Kingdom). This figure was supported by MAN TGE unit sales of which more than doubled. Sales revenue rose by 6% to €19.8 (€18.6) billion. TRATON GROUP posted operating profit of €1.5 (€1.1) billion, an increase of 34%. The operating return on sales climbed to 7.5 (5.9)%. On an adjusted basis, operating profit improved by 20% and the operating return on sales by 0.8 percentage points. The prior-year figure was held back by expenses of €115 million for the restructuring of activities in India. The level of order intakes declined by 6%. The book-to-bill ratio was well below the prior-year level, at 0.95 (1.09).
Volkswagen strengthens brand presentation in China: MEB roadmap, new models and new brand design
The Volkswagen brand is boosting its e-mobility offensive in China. Next year, about 300,000 electrified models are already to be handed over to customers. The figure will then reach about one million by 2025. By 2023, the Volkswagen brand will offer 10 models based on the MEB modular electric drive toolkit on the Chinese market. In Guangzhou, the SUV study ID.Next, already on show at the IAA, gave a glimpse of the first model in the ID. family for China. Production of this model is to start at the end of 2020. The ID.3 will then be produced by SAIC VOLKSWAGEN at the new plant in Anting. This way, Volkswagen is also making its corporate goal clear in China: the brand is on its way to mobility with a net neutral carbon balance.
Volkswagen brand confirms full-year targets – nine-month sales revenue and profit up significantly
The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand continued its profitable growth in the third quarter of the current fiscal year. Despite a slight decline in deliveries, sales revenue of the Volkswagen Group’s core brand improved to EUR 65.4 billion in the first nine months of 2019, up 4.7 percent compared with the previous year. The growth in sales revenue was primarily driven by mix and price effects. Operating profit before special items rose to EUR 3.2 billion, an increase of 35 percent on the prior-year period, which had been negatively impacted by the WLTP changeover. The operating return on sales before special items improved to 4.8 percent as of the end of September (previous year: 3.7 percent). Special items from the diesel issue totaled EUR -722 million after nine months (previous year: EUR -1.6 billion).
Volkswagen optimizes traffic flow with quantum computers
Volkswagen is launching in Lisbon the world’s first pilot project for traffic optimization using a quantum computer. For this purpose, Volkswagen is partnering with public transport provider CARRIS to equip MAN-buses with a traffic management system developed in-house. This system uses a D-Wave quantum computer and calculates the fastest route for each of the nine participating buses individually and almost in real-time. This way, passengers’ travel times will be significantly reduced, even during peak traffic periods, and traffic flow will be improved. Volkswagen is testing its system, which was developed jointly with the software specialists Hexad and PTV Group, during the Web-Summit technology conference in Lisbon from November 4 to 8 – during the conference, buses will carry thousands of passengers through the city traffic in Lisbon.
Volkswagen increases sales revenue and profit
In the first nine months of the current financial year, the Volkswagen Group continued to perform well in a difficult market environment. Between January and September sales reve-nue grew by 6.9 percent year-on-year to EUR 186.6 (174.6) billion. Operating profit before special items increased significantly by 11.2 percent to EUR 14.8 (13.3) billion, mainly due to improvements in the mix and in the fair value on derivatives. The operating return on sales before special items stood at 7.9 (7.6) percent. Special items, which were due to legal risks in connection with the diesel issue, amounted to EUR -1.3 (-2.4) billion after nine months. Operating profit (after special items) improved by 24.5 percent to EUR 13.5 (10.9) billion, bringing the operating return on sales up to 7.3 (6.2) percent. Profit before tax rose by 16.9 percent to EUR 14.6 billion.
First for Africa: Volkswagen and Siemens launch joint electric mobility pilot project in Rwanda
In a first for the African continent, the Volkswagen Brand has launched a pilot project in partnership with Siemens to test the feasibility of electric mobility in an African country.
Volkswagen donates €150,000 to the International Auschwitz Committee for education and research
The Volkswagen Group is donating €150,000 to the International Auschwitz Committee (IAC) to support two international pilot projects: educational conferences with witnesses of genocides after the Second World War and digitization for research into the identity of Holocaust victims. The Human Resources Board Member of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, Gunnar Kilian, and the Chairman of the Group Works Council, Bernd Osterloh, signed the symbolic check for the donation in Wolfsburg today.
TRATON and Hino establish a procurement joint venture
Commercial vehicle manufacturers TRATON GROUP and Hino Motors, Ltd. have reached a further milestone in their strategic partnership aiming to offer customers the highest value: The two companies have established the procurement joint venture “HINO & TRATON Global Procurement” in order to maximize the global procurement synergies between the two companies. The joint procurement targets a wide range of parts and technologies whose purchasing contracts are made by the two companies. Through this partnership, HINO and TRATON anticipate an increased global footprint, in particular in Europe and Asia, resulting in an expanded supplier base.
Countdown to production start: Conversion of Zwickau plant to electric car factory began in 2018
The countdown is on: Seven days to go until Volkswagen begins series production of the all-electric ID.3. Federal Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel and Group CEO Dr. Herbert Diess will be there to watch the first car roll off the assembly line at the plant in Zwickau on November 4, 2019. The Federal Chancellor will attend the official ceremony and also visit the production line. The ID.3 is the first model in the latest generation to hit the road under Volkswagen’s global electric offensive. Volkswagen is the very first volume manufacturer to entirely convert a large car factory from internal combustion engines to e-mobility. The phased transformation of the factory already began in 2018 and will be fully completed in 2021, transforming Zwickau into the largest and most efficient electric car plant in Europe.
Volkswagen plans to make autonomous driving market-ready
Volkswagen AG today announced the foundation of Volkswagen Autonomy GmbH (VWAT GmbH) with headquarters in Munich and Wolfsburg. Another subsidary in Silicon Valley will follow in 2020. A further subsidiary is planned in China in 2021. As a centre of excellence for autonomous driving from Level 4, VWAT will serve to build up know-how within the Group and bring a self-driving system (SDS) to market maturity. The company will be managed by Alexander Hitzinger, Senior Vice President for autonomous driving in the Volkswagen Group and Member of the Volkswagen Brand Board of Management responsible for Technical Development at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV). VWCV in Hanover is the leading brand within the Group for Autonomous Driving, Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS), and Transport-as-a-Service (TaaS).
World premiere for the new Golf: digitalised, connected, and intelligent
The Golf is the most successful European car for more than four decades. A new chapter in the history of this best-seller begins today, 24 October 2019, with the world premiere of the eighth Golf – digitalised, connected, and intuitive to operate. Never before has a Golf been so progressive. With hybrid versions launched at the same time, it is electrifying the compact class. Its digital interior enables a new dimension of intuitive operation. Speeds of up to 210 km/h are possible with assisted driving. It is the first Volkswagen to use swarm intelligence from traffic via Car2X, meaning it can warn against hazards on an anticipatory basis. Its world premiere takes place in Wolfsburg, where the Golf was invented, and where it has been built and refined for the last 45 years. The new Golf will be available on the market in December.
New teaching, new learning — Volkswagen makes vocational training fit for transformation and future
Volkswagen’s vocational training, its content and methods are being strategically aligned to the key topics for the future. The company is thus ensuring that the qualifications of its career entrants are fine-tuned to suit the needs of the transformation phase. On Thursday, “Zukunftsforum Ausbildung” took stock of how training is changing. Held at the Wolfsburg plant, topics at the conference which welcomed participants from many sites included best practice examples, discussions about digitalization and connectivity, new learning environments, the future tasks of training instructors, and vocational trainee skills.
Attractive savings and special leasing rates for the self-employed: the new Touareg DRIVE
Volkswagen launches the new special model Touareg DRIVE onto the market. This all-wheel drive, premium-segment all-rounder offers the most popular optional equipment of this product line as standard - including an electric foldable mounting bracket, trailer manoeuvring system (Trailer Assist), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), offroad package and air suspension. Touareg DRIVE will be launched with a price advantage of around EUR 7,900*. In addition, there will be attractive leasing rates, especially for the self-employed.
Countdown to the new Golf: Golf Mk7 – lightweight construction and broad powertrain options
Of more than 35 million Golf cars that have been built to date, around six million were Golf Mk7 models – the most recent generation. The story of this seventh Golf officially starts at its world premiere in Berlin, on 4 September 2012. Just one day later, pre-sales of the new Golf started in the first countries. As was also the case with its predecessors the Mk1, Mk2, Mk3, Mk4, Mk5, and Mk6 – which together achieved total sales of 29.3 million units – it became a world best-seller.
Volkswagen builds Golf faster than ever before
Over 35 million Golf in various versions have been produced worldwide since the first generation, 26 million of them at the Wolfsburg plant. Production of the new Golf at the main plant began in the summer and is currently in the run-up phase. The first vehicles will be in the showrooms at dealers in Germany and Austria in early December. To prepare for production, approximately 700 work steps were analyzed at over 400 workshops to leverage existing efficiency reserves. Numerous process improvements have been implemented to make sure the eighth generation of the bestseller can be built more efficiently than its predecessor.