Dr. Herbert Diess Shaping the car´s future

Dr. Herbert Diess Shaping the car´s future

International Motor Show | September 12^th, 2017

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The I.D. trio!
That's a treble dose of innovative electric architecture!
And it's three Volkswagens of the future!

These three vehicles belong to our starting line-up for Volkswagen's electric offensive which we will be rolling out in quick succession from 2020.

- The I.D. – the compact, fully-electric car for the Golf-sized segment.

- The new I.D. Crozz – the modern SUV for all roads and terrains everywhere.

- And the I.D. Buzz – which transfers the legendary Volkswagen Bulli feeling to the future.

More vehicles are in the pipeline: For Europe, for the Americas and, above all, for China.

All I.D. models are based on Volkswagen's entirely new electric architecture. With a range of electric motors and a flat battery shaped like a chocolate bar which forms the floorpan of our future electric cars.

Or to put it another way – a power bar that allows us to extend the range to up to 600 kilometers.

Our engineers have put the benefits of this architecture to very good use.

The flat floorpan gives us great flexibility as regards design and interior space. From compact to bus – anything's possible.

"vw.OS" is the name of our new and innovative operating system for the intelligent control of our I.D. vehicles. "vw.OS" enables fast software updates and vehicle system upgrades that make the car better and better. I'm sure you are familiar with such systems from your smartphones.

The car and the driver have permanent access to cloud features such as charging or parking. In other words: the car becomes an internet hub on wheels.

This is the basis for us to develop models that herald the start of a new design era for Volkswagen as well.

The further developed I.D. Crozz gives you a glimpse today of the SUV of tomorrow. It is powerful, modern, unmistakable. Two electric motors have an output of over 300 PS. And thanks to all-wheel drive, it is ideal for off-road trails.

The Crozz shows that electric cars can be charged with emotion. It will go into production here in Europe in 2020.

The aim of our electric offensive is to set a standard for e-mobility. With vehicles that are reliable and suited to everyday use, vehicles that are fun – and that people can afford. The I.D. will have a price tag similar to a Golf diesel with comparable features.

One thing is clear: the Golf of the future must once again be a Volkswagen!

We are delighted to be taking up this challenge. Because with the new technology, the car has brighter prospects now than ever before.

Private transport will become ever cleaner. And with renewables-based electricity, the car of the future will even be totally emissions-free. There will be significantly fewer accidents thanks to efficient assistance systems. And as automation progresses, people who are too old or too young to use a car today will be able to do so going forward.

At Volkswagen we want to shape the future of the automobile.

For seventy years we have been making our contribution to individual mobility all over the world. Our mission is to make modern technology accessible to lots of people.

That is why we will be offering 23 all-electric cars worldwide by 2025. To do that, we will be investing €6 billion in e-mobility over the coming five years.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Volkswagen offensive already began quite a while back. Jürgen Stackmann and Frank Welsch have just demonstrated that.

In the first phase of our strategy we will be rejuvenating our entire model range by 2020. And we will be expanding our model portfolio in key segments.

We are showcasing that here at the IAA in Frankfurt.

The GTI family and the SUVs also demonstrate that Volkswagen is becoming younger, sportier and more versatile.

Customers acknowledge the new orientation of our brand: deliveries from January to August grew by almost 2 percent. Our growth rate in the USA topped the 6 percent mark, while in South America it even soared 18 percent. And we are picking up more speed. In August we grew worldwide by over 9 percent.

That is an encouraging sign for the rest of the year.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Our slogan is: "We Move People Forward".

Mobility satisfies our fundamental desire for freedom.
The car fulfills that desire best.
And the best car of all is a Volkswagen.

Thank you very much!