All Stories
This section contains stories on topics concerning Volkswagen.
New cloud solution: virtual vehicle construction from the home office
During the corona pandemic, Volkswagen’s Technical Development team set up more than 1,000 digital workstations for computing-intensive tasks. The experts save a lot of time – while protecting the climate.
“Design is a team sport”
At Volkswagen, designing a new model always involves a large team. That was no different in the case of the new Golf: designers from a diverse range of disciplines helped to shape the car and contributed to the design of the Golf with their own individual skills, experience and passions. We spent a day with two such designers, discovering what moves them, what inspires them, and what drives them. “People shaping the Golf”, part 1: Volkswagen designers Ingo Brückmann and Mathias Kuhn meet Klaus Zyciora, Head of Volkswagen Group Design, at the Volkswagen Group Future Center in Potsdam, from where they set off on a tour of their home city: Berlin.
Working with HIV: Volkswagen is flying the flag against discrimination
Today, people can live and work with HIV just like anyone else – yet they experience disadvantages in their everyday lives. By signing the #positivarbeiten (#workingpositively) declaration, Volkswagen Group has committed itself to protecting HIV-positive employees from discrimination and to promoting an open and respectful coexistence.
Swap car for laptop. The Sales Germany during Corona
During the pandemic, Volkswagen Sales Germany has been replacing many business trips with online meetings. Consequently, the salesforce is becoming both more digital and more sustainable.
Internal competition: Three designs for the Auto 2050
E-mobility and digitalization are revolutionizing our vehicles. At Volkswagen, the winners of a design competition for the ID.3 of the year 2050 have now been announced. Their designs impress with their high level of aerodynamics, spacious interior and freedom to enjoy.
"We're looking for the supercell!"
When Tim Dagger decided to study chemistry in 2008, there was initially little indication of a career in the automotive industry. Then electric mobility became increasingly important – and Tim bet on the right horse. “Since 2012 I have been working on lithium-ion technology. It makes me very happy to see how the technology is now helping electric cars penetrate the mass market,” says Tim.
“There is still a lot of catching up to do on equal rights”
Champions League title, Olympic gold medalist, World Goalkeeper of the Year. Almuth Schult has successfully been defending the goalposts of VfL Wolfsburg and the German national team for years. Since April of this year she has also been looking after her twin babies. An interview about child, career – and life at the top level.
Volkswagen developers rely on digital dialog
Volkswagen Technical Development (TE) in Wolfsburg: More than 11,000 employees work on innovations for future cars. With the corona lockdown in March, mobile working in home office was the order of the day for most employees. Skype & Co. connected the teams electronically so that development projects could continue. Another challenge: new dialog formats were necessary to ensure the flow of information from top to bottom (top-down) as well as from bottom to top (bottom-up). “The requirement to introduce digital formats for dialog with and among TE employees arose early on,” reports Agnese Riemere-Birk. In the TE Transformation department, she is responsible for “Change Communication”.
Astypalea: Smart, sustainable island
Astypalea up until now is probably only known to insiders. The small island is located in the Aegean Sea, it belongs to Greece and is especially known for its butterflies. This is likely to change in the future: Astypalea will become a model for smart, emission-free mobility. The island wants to prove that a purely electric transport system is already possible today – without any restrictions on the mobility of its inhabitants. We explain the details.
How to make Halloween your ID.4 festival
With our cutting template you can easily give your pumpkin the look of our new all-electric SUV.
A digital welcome for electronics developers
People who change jobs during the pandemic often do not get to know new colleagues personally. Electronics developers at Volkswagen have therefore introduced virtual welcome meetings. Their work is even more digital and at the same time more sustainable than before corona.
Start of the Variant: Wolfsburg plant builds the complete Golf family
Advance sales of the new Golf Variant have recently begun – the car is being built at the Wolfsburg plant. The complete Golf family is now rolling off the production line at Volkswagen’s headquarters. Some employees see an old friend again.
“A travel card covering all modes of transport”
Experts agree: the transport of the future must be networked. In an interview, Meike Niedbal, Head of Smart City at Deutsche Bahn, talks about the interaction of rail, car and e-scooters. She also explains why railway stations are gaining importance as co-working spaces.
“No person should have to hide their personality”
Respect, tolerance, living diversity – these are the goals of the LGBTIQ* and friends network #WeDriveProud at Volkswagen. One of its members is Alexander Selker, a doctoral student in Group Market Research. On Coming-Out Day he tells his story.
Volkswagen designers are creating even more digitally
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Volkswagen designers’ have been working even more frequently in the form of virtual reality. Many business trips are no longer necessary. This makes designing new cars not only more digital but also more climate friendly.
On a global journey with the new ID.4
The first electric SUV from Volkswagen is to become a world car: built globally, sold globally. Marco Franke and Tayfun Sentürk accompany the ID.4 from Zwickau to Tennessee and Shanghai.
When Volkswagen exchanged cars for sausages
Volkswagen Classic houses many treasures – including electric cars from 40 years ago and the GDR Golf, which was delivered to eastern Germany since 1978. In an interview, expert Sascha Neumann explains how history strengthens trust in the brand.
Jobs Created, Prosperity Earned
A special relationship exists between the former Volkswagen Group CEO Carl H. Hahn and Saxony. He was the head of Volkswagen when the Wall fell in 1989 – and pushed for the construction of new plants in the East. A retrospective:
30 Facts about Volkswagen in East Germany
Thirty years ago, people in the GDR brought down the wall separating East and West Germany in a peaceful revolution. The anniversary is an occasion to look back at the automotive industry in the eastern Federal states.
“The great gift for the last decade of this century”
The Day of German Unity was also a special day in the communications at Volkswagen. The employee newspaper “Autogramm” reported among other things on “a new VW plant in Mosel/Zwickau”. A historic journey.
From the Trabi to the ID.3
Bernd Perfölz knows them all. And does so intimately: the Trabant, the Polo, the Golf, the Golf Variant, the Passat – and now the ID.3. The reason is that the technical expert at the Volkswagen plant Zwickau started his apprenticeship as a communications technician at VEB Sachsenring Zwickau in 1972 when he was 17. A journey through time.
30th anniversary of the German reunification: Automaking East – a portrait of five car dealerships
Thirty years after the German reunification came down, Volkswagen is positioned very well in the states of eastern Germany. The reason for this is dealers who have strengthened the Group’s brands for decades. Five examples:
“The design of the ID.4 saves customers hard cash”
With the ID.4, Volkswagen presents the brand’s first fully electric SUV. The car is built and sold in Europe, China and later in the USA. In an interview, Klaus Zyciora, Head of Volkswagen Group Design, explains how to design a vehicle for different markets – and how customers benefit.
Electric, clean, SUV – ID.4 prior to the world premiere
The ID.4 is coming – the expectations are high: World car. With its first electric SUV, the Volkswagen brand wants to take e-mobility out of its niche in the key markets of Europe, China and the USA. The ID.4 will be produced and sold locally in all three regions. Just in time for the world premiere, this dossier provides the most important facts.
Pioneers in climate-friendly vehicle manufacturing
The Volkswagen Group is on its way to climate neutrality. An important component: new products such as the ID.4, the first fully electric SUV from the Volkswagen brand. The car, which is about to make its world premiere, will be built and sold in Europe, China and later also in the USA. "The ID.4 stands for clean mobility in a CO2 balance sheet neutral manner," says Ralf Brandstätter, CEO of the brand. Like the ID.3, it leaves the Zwickau plant without a an ecological backpack. In addition to Zwickau, the pioneers of climate-friendly vehicle construction throughout the Group are the plants of Audi in Brussels, Bentley in Crewe and ŠKODA in Vrchlabí, Czech Republic, which are already producing CO2-neutral on their balance sheets.
“The ID.4 to become an electrically powered world car”
The ID.4 is the first electric SUV from Volkswagen. Expectations are high, as the new model is intended to drive the company’s e-offensive worldwide. In an interview, Ralf Brandstätter, CEO of the brand, and Thomas Ulbrich, member of the Board of Management responsible for e-mobility, explain key strategic relationships.
A high-speed pace to prevent corona infections
Together, Volkswagen and the city of Wolfsburg want to be fast: When it comes to recognizing corona cases. When interrupting chains of infection. And fast when it comes to preventing the possible closure of company departments or public institutions. To achieve this, Volkswagen is setting up its own test containers at its German locations – the results of the tests are delivered by a new center at the municipal hospital in Wolfsburg within 24 hours at the latest. So far, in five cases, corona infections have already been detected at an early stage and, above all, their spread has been prevented.
A happy end in the Autostadt: Trainees drive to the Wörthersee
Thirteen aspiring young talents from all over Germany worked together to create a special car: the Golf GTE HyRACER. As a team, they learned a lot and developed their technical skills. The extraordinary training project was organized by Volkswagen Group Retail Germany.
Electric mobility for all: Volkswagen is launching five electrified Golf models
With the models of the ID family Volkswagen continues to drive forward its electrification campaign and in parallel is launching an entirely new spectrum of innovative hybrid drive systems for its established product range. With three new eTSI engines (48V mild hybrid) and two new plug-in hybrid drives – Golf eHybrid and Golf GTE - , the Golf is now the Volkswagen model line with the most diverse hybrid spectrum. Together with the new, all-electric ID.3, for which there will be three different battery sizes, Volkswagen will therefore offer one of the most systematically electrified compact class vehicle ranges in the world.
Record breaking all-electric drive to Switzerland
Efficiency master Felix Egolf took the first ID.3 to Switzerland. He drove the model with the medium battery pack (420 kilometers according to WLTP) from the Volkswagen plant in Zwickau to Schaffhausen – and mastered a distance of 531 kilometers with just one single battery charge. A record drive.
“All I ever wanted to do was build cars”
One year ago, on August 25, 2019, Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Piëch passed away. On the occasion of the anniversary of his death, Volkswagen commemorates the lifetime accomplishments of the long-standing Chairman of the Board of Management and Supervisory Board.
Following three comes four: Series production of the ID.4 begins in Zwickau
The ID. family gets new blood: With the start of series production of the ID.4, Volkswagen’s first fully-electric SUV celebrates its production start at the Zwickau plant, only virtually on the Internet due to Corona, but the guestlist is nevertheless prominent: In addition to brand CEO Ralf Brandstätter and E-Mobility Director Thomas Ulbrich, Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) also congratulated Volkswagen on the second ID. Model “Made in Saxony”. The ID.4 is also a milestone for automobile production: Like its predecessor the ID.3, the e-model will be manufactured and delivered in a CO2-neutral manner.
On the way to becoming a climate-neutral company
The fight against global warming is one of the most important global challenges. We explain what Volkswagen is doing for climate protection. We have also compiled assessments of climate change by leading scientists in a dossier.
Holiday feeling with the T-Roc Cabriolet in Germany’s Havelland
The actor couple Andrea Sawatzki and Christian Berkel on a lake journey through Brandenburg. Their summer trip took them in a T-Roc convertible from Werder to Lake Seddin.
Innovation without sacrifice: SUVs and climate protection
Climate change is one of the most crucial challenges facing humanity. We all have a responsibility to stop global warming. Volkswagen was the world’s first car manufacturer to commit itself to the goals of the Paris Agreement. The entire Group is to become carbon neutral by 2050 at the latest. In order to protect the climate and implement the relevant political provisions, we are rigorously redesigning our vehicles to meet electric mobility standards. That also applies to SUVs, a growing favorite among customers all over the world, but often criticized as environmental “sinners”. SUVs are a key element in the Group-wide electric offensive towards sustainable mobility.
Artificial intelligence – not so difficult after all
Image recognition and artificial intelligence make production at Volkswagen even more efficient. The key term: Industrial Computer Vision. A visit to the experts at the Smart.Production:Lab who helped develop the technology.
Mecklenburg can be so beautiful – with Nadja Uhl and the Passat GTE Variant
Beach, water, crowning treetops in front of a blue sky – that’s just part of a perfect summer. Whether the beach is by the sea or by a lake is not important. Because whoever spends their holiday in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania gets both. And many of the most beautiful tree-lined avenues in Germany as well. The actress Nadja Uhl loves it here. Even camping! On her journey with the Passat GTE Variant including roof tent, she shows the most beautiful places on the German Avenue Route between Rheinsberg and Stralsund (her birthplace), following in the footsteps of her childhood – on the Baltic Sea.
Corrosion protection at Volkswagen: Twelve years in “fast forward” mode
Volkswagen engineers simulate the ageing process of a car in just six months to reproduce 12 years of car ownership by a customer. We explain the corrosion protection measures that apply for all Volkswagen models – classic combustion engine models as well as the new electric models from the ID. range.
Virtuoso dynamic painting
Katharina Gross’ stunning exhibition at the “Hamburger Bahnhof” in Berlin is part of Volkswagen’s partnership with the Nationalgalerie – Staatliche Museen zu Berlin.
Volkswagen brand boss Ralf Brandstätter: On the road with the ID.3
The new Volkswagen brand boss Ralf Brandstätter is consistently driving forward the brand’s e-offensive. One of his first trips took him to the Zwickau plant, where he learned about the current status of the transformation to a pure e-car plant and the production of the ID. family. He used the trip to Zwickau for a test drive with the new ID.3.
“The Industrial Cloud will become the App Store for our plants”
Together with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and integration partner Siemens, Volkswagen is opening up the Industrial Cloud to other companies from the engineering and technology sectors. In an interview, Nihar Patel, Executive Vice President New Business Development at Volkswagen AG, and Sarah Cooper, General Manager of IoT Solutions at Amazon Web Services, Inc., explain the advantages of new partnerships and give an outlook on the further expansion of the cloud.
Transsexuality at Volkswagen: „I have come home“
On July 25, Volkswagen will participate for the first time with its “We Drive Proud” network in an online version of Berlin’s Christopher Street Day (CSD) – and thus take a clear stand for diversity. “We live diversity” is one of the Group’s principles. Karin Tröndle’s story also tells of this diversity. The 59-year-old has been working for Volkswagen for 23 years, currently in axle alignment. She began her career in the Group as a man.
In the interview she talks openly about her path to becoming a woman, how she deals with her transsexuality, the significance of the CSD and the one law that she would like to change if she could.
The highlights of the new Arteon
The advance sale for the new Arteon is running. For the first time Volkswagen is offering the model in two body versions. As before, as a coupé-like Fastback and as a spacious Shooting Brake with a distinctly sporty rear end. In both versions, the new Arteon scores with numerous innovations. We show selected examples.
“We need more courage when it comes to expanding the charging infrastructure”
Johannes Schlaich is Professor of Mobility and Transport at the Beuth University of Applied Science in Berlin. In an interview, he talks about the practical suitability of electric cars and explains how digitalization can support the expansion of e-mobility.
A production facility that has become part of the family - Happy Birthday, Salzgitter!
When the Volkswagen plant in Salzgitter went into operation half a century ago, Georg Schoske was already an old hand at the company. “I had been manufacturing the Beetle in Wolfsburg since 1962. It was fun. But when Salzgitter opened, you didn’t have to ask me for long,” the 81-year-old recalls. Even then, Schoske lived with his family in Steinlah – 60 kilometers from the Wolfsburg plant, but only 20 kilometers from the Salzgitter plant. Even before the official inauguration, he switched. Since then the factory has become a family affair. Son Rainer Schoske (55) started his professional life in Salzgitter, as did grandson Marvin Schoske (23). Three generations – one factory.
No more doubt – mankind is responsible
We have compiled a dossier with assessments on climate change by leading scientists. For them, one thing is clear: mankind bears a crucial responsibility for global warming.
Food supply at risk
We have compiled assessments on climate change by leading scientists in a dossier. They warn: Unabated global warming has dramatic consequences for the whole of humanity – whether through crop failures, wars or the spread of disease.
“What matters is the political framework”
We have compiled assessments on climate change by leading scientists in a dossier. Gunnar Luderer is Deputy Chair of the Department for Sustainable Transformation Pathways at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). In an interview, he explains how individuals can act to protect the climate – and what politicians should do. In addition to his duties at PIK, Luderer is Professor for Global Energy Systems Analysis at the Technical University of Berlin.
“Technology alone will not solve the climate problem”
Prof. Barbara Lenz heads the Institute of Transport Research at the German Aerospace Center (DLR). In an interview she talks about mobility after corona, climate protection and alternative propulsion systems.
“Diversity is a strong competitive advantage”
On Christopher Street Day (CSD), the LGBTIQ* movement has been campaigning for tolerance and against discrimination for more than 40 years. This year, the demonstration will take place as an online event under the motto “Pride Live” in light of the corona pandemic. In an interview, Elke Heitmüller, Head of Diversity Management, and Thore Masekowitz, LGBTIQ* and friends network spokesperson, talk about Volkswagen’s involvement in the CSD movement and the importance of diversity within the company.
“A wonderful long-distance travelling companion”
Coinciding with the world premiere there is a lot of praise for the new Arteon and the new Arteon Shooting Brake. Those fans include Jürgen Stackmann, Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen brand responsible for Sales, and Klaus Zyciora, Head of Volkswagen Group Design. With the Fastback and Shooting Brake there will be two versions of the Arteon in future. The entire series will receive a comprehensive technical update.
“We want to develop our own software platform”
Here we go! That is the message that runs through Christian Senger’s speech on this day. In less than two weeks, the Car.Software organization within the Volkswagen Group switches from the start-up phase to operational mode. Starting in July, it will use its own budget and staff to develop a powerful digital platform for all Group brands and markets. “We are moving from planning to doing,” says Senger, CEO of the Car.Software organization.
“Disappointment has quickly given way to a more optimistic mood”
In an interview, Jürgen Stackmann, member of the Brand Board of Management at Volkswagen Passenger Cars in charge of Sales, Marketing and After Sales, explains why he can now see the positive side of the postponement of the European Football Championship.
Medical aid supplies: Last consignment landed in Germany
Volkswagen Group is supporting the fight against the corona pandemic with medical supplies worth €40 million – the last major consignment by air freight recently arrived at Hanover Airport. A total of eight million protective masks, six million pairs of disposable gloves, 300,000 protective suits, 200,000 protective glasses, 10,000 handheld infrared measuring devices and 320,000 liters of disinfectant have arrived in Germany.
Ordering a car around the clock
As soon as possible. As simple as possible. Around the clock if possible. The digital vehicle business is gaining in importance – this is particularly visible during corona times. Examples from Sweden and the Netherlands.
„We need a climate partnership between governments and car manufacturers“
Rob de Jong is head of the Air Quality and Mobility Unit at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). In the interview he talks about lessons learned from the Corona pandemic, climate-friendly transport and the responsibility of the automotive industry.
“We are realizing that we don’t have to travel for every appointment”
State Minister Dorothee Bär (CSU) is the Federal Government Commissioner for Digitization. In an interview she talks about obstacles regarding broadband expansion, mobility during corona times and the demand for a right to home office.
Volkswagen´s Commitment in South Africa: “If we don’t do it, nobody will”
Thomas Schäfer, Head of Volkswagen Group South Africa, talks in an interview about the automaker’s extraordinary dedication in the fight against the corona pandemic.
“The distinctive JETTA design should enter the mind”
Less than a year after entering the market, the new JETTA brand is on the road to success in China. Since September, JETTA has already delivered about 81,000 vehicles to customers and has achieved one of the best start-up phases for new automobile brands in China. In an interview, Volkswagen Group Head of Design Klaus Bischoff talks about brand values, the preferences of Chinese customers and the secret of an unmistakable identity.
Highlights from three decades of Wörthersee GTI meeting
From 100 to 100,000 international fans: We are referring to the legendary Wörthersee GTI meeting. The Coronavirus situation has led to the cancellation of this year’s “madness on the lake”. To heighten anticipation of a swift reunion, we are using this Ascension Day to look back on some selected Wörthersee highlights from the last 39 years.
“The lights are now set on green for most suppliers”
Production has restarted – not only at Volkswagen, but also at thousands of suppliers who supply the car factories with components. In Europe, companies from the two countries that were particularly hard hit by the corona crisis play an important role: Italy and Spain.
Golf GTI – eight generations, each with that distinctive front
The powerhouse in the compact class: in the 1970s, the Golf GTI – now in its eighth generation in 2020 – was a cult car from the word go. We reveal what makes the punchy front of the GTI so special, and how this has developed over the past half century. Marco Pavone, Head of Exterior Design for the Volkswagen Brand, explains the generations and the latest GTI model.
China’s shift to online sales
When Michael Mayer steps outside his front door, the street market is not far away. Within a matter of minutes, he reaches the Sanyuanli fruit and vegetable market, located in the heart of Beijing. He has not taken his wallet with him for three years. “Across the entire market, people pay only by smartphone. That’s still in its infancy in Europe – here it works across the board,” says Mayer, Head of Sales and Marketing for the Volkswagen brand in China – this is the country where the corona pandemic first spread.
On the trail of MacGyver
The Volkswagen plant in Emden normally produces the Passat and Arteon. These days, the employees produce self-designed disinfectant dispensers in addition.
“Digitalization makes many paths avoidable”
Prof. Irene Bertschek is a digitization expert at the ZEW – Leibniz Center for European Economic Research in Mannheim and advisor to the German government on innovation issues. In an interview she explains how artificial intelligence can steer our mobility sector and which digital solutions of the corona era will be long-lasting.
“The restart will be just as demanding as the shutdown”
With the restart of production, Volkswagen Group logistics specialist Fred Maretzke and his fellow colleagues are faced with a tough job: some plants are waiting for deliveries, others have a full stock, while others are preparing for a cautious restart. “We now have to bring everything under one roof and synchronize it bit by bit,” says the 53-year-old. Maretzke’s advantage is that he has a well-established network of hauliers and other partners behind him with whom he has mastered complicated tasks in recent weeks.
New signing from Osnabrück – the T-Roc Cabriolet
What makes spring the best of seasons? Having the soft top down and cruising leisurely through the countryside, of course. A host of Volkswagen models have had their top down for more than 70 years, and many of these were developed and produced in Osnabrück, a site that specialises in producing convertibles. The same is true of the new T-Roc Cabriolet, currently Volkswagen’s only convertible, which has recently started rolling off the site’s production lines as the latest model in a rich history of successful Volkswagen convertibles.
Young reporters at the Karajan Music Tech Conference: "And suddenly you're online"
For the Karajan Music Tech Conference, the Karajan Institute, with the support of Volkswagen, organised a workshop with JungeReporter, which gave prospective editors insights into journalistic working techniques. The workshop and conference took place entirely online.
“The shift to electric mobility continues”
Following the Corona-related break, Volkswagen in Zwickau is slowly ramping up production of the fully electric ID.3 this week. With the restart on Thursday, Zwickau will be the company’s first vehicle plant in Germany to be gradually brought back into operation.
Emerging stronger from the crisis – with calmness, consideration and serenity
The outbreak of Covid-19 presents Volkswagen with challenges worldwide. In China, Volkswagen's largest single market, the most severe effects of the virus for the Volkswagen Group China have been overcome - also regarding production in its 33 factories across the country. Almost all of the plants have started up again and are already well utilized. Karsten Schnake and Frank Engel and their teams worked hard for this success. Schnake heads up purchasing at Volkswagen Group China, while Engel is responsible for component activities, logistics and quality assurance. In the interview, they talk about their experiences in coping with the crisis in China.
The Sharan – your office on the move
Germany is stuck in the home office. The team meeting via video call has barely started, and that’s when the phone rings and the children come in for playing: anyone managing their job from home and perhaps also looking after the children as well has the urge for a ‘time out’ now and again. Simply to see something different, and simply to get some fresh air when they take a break from looking at the computer screen. And precisely that is possible with the Sharan: because, with just a few adjustments and a little creativity, the Volkswagen people carrier converts into the office on wheels.
When the vision becomes reality
While production at the Zwickau vehicle plant is at a standstill, work on Volkswagen’s electrical future continues in the pilot hall there. Not only are the distance rules strictly adhered to – the motivation of the employees is also high.
How a VW service center operates during corona times
Avoiding personal contact with the customer? This is actually a no-go for employees in Volkswagen service centers. In the fight against corona, they have to rethink in order to ensure that customers, especially the rescue services, remain mobile. This can only be achieved through consistent measures.
How Volkswagen is navigating its charter ships through the crisis
Suspended production, closed ports, sick sailors – Nina Cordes-Klasing and her colleagues from Overseas Vehicle Logistics at Volkswagen face all kinds of challenges in times of corona.
The benchmark of its time – for decades
Clear lines, pure design – the new Volkswagen was a revolution in 1974. It was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, who created a genuine icon. Since then, the Golf has inspired time and time again – the latest generation, the eighth, was designed by Volkswagen Group Chief Designer, Klaus Bischoff, and his team. 46 years passed between the first and the latest model. The two designers were faced with very different challenges, and yet one question connects them both: how do you create a design that stands the test of time?
“Our fight against corona is like a long-distance race”
For the treatment of corona patients, clinics and medical practices lack equipment. Volkswagen is donating respiratory masks and other materials worth 40 million euros. A team of experts has organized the first delivery of 400,000 protective masks from China. We present four people behind the operation.
Chinese customers rely on the safety of their own cars
Mobility in the city – that also means: little space on the subway, shared taxis, lots of people, in a limited area. In China, there are indications that the corona pandemic is increasing the desire to travel in a protected space. In a recent study by the market research institute Ipsos, two out of three respondents say that they prefer their own car to public transport. Twice as many as before the corona outbreak.
“On the Chinese market, hope is returning”
Just two months ago, China was considered the center of the corona pandemic. Meanwhile, there are signs of relaxation, with the car industry also slowly returning to normality. Production of vehicles and components has resumed at 22 of 24 Volkswagen locations.
“It was clear to us that human lives were at stake”
It is Monday morning when Anna Levina first learns of her huge task: As quickly as possible the Volkswagen logistics expert and her team are to bring respiratory masks, disinfectants and other medical products from China to Germany. Every day counts because the spread of the corona virus is causing hospitals and doctors’ surgeries to run out of material. The company is therefore donating urgently required equipment. “I had to take a deep breath first,” confesses Anna Levina. “We are used to short-term requests. But this job was special.”
“We have a sound foundation”
The corona epidemic poses major challenges for the entire global economy. In an interview with the German daily financial newspaper, Börsen-Zeitung, CFO Frank Witter explains how the Volkswagen Group is dealing with the situation.
Car2X in the new Golf: A “technological milestone”
German Automotive Association ADAC tested one of its functionalities, traffic hazard alert, and called it a “technological milestone”. Euro NCAP, as an independent organisation, has particularly honoured it – with the “Advanced Award”, the special award for ground-breaking safety features.
“The MEB is a decisive plus point”
The battery is considered the heart of modern electric cars. Frank Blome heads the Battery Cell business unit at Volkswagen Group Components. In an interview, he explains how the modular electric drive matrix (MEB) works and what progress can be expected in battery technology.
When the vision becomes reality
During the visit of the Volkswagen Sustainability Council, the Zwickau facility demonstrates how much the transition to climate-friendly e-mobility is transforming the location. The independent experts are impressed.
The big cost comparison: e-car vs. combustion engine
The ID.3 is intended to make e-mobility affordable and practical for everyone. For customers, its total costs are already on a par with those of comparable combustion engine vehicles – and even lower.
Battery or fuel cell, that is the question
E-battery or hydrogen – what is the most sustainable mobility strategy? We explain where, according to the current state of play, the decisive advantages of the e-drive system lie in comparison to the fuel cell. And why Volkswagen’s decision to consistently promote e-mobility is the right one.
Seven big misconceptions – E-car fact check
Expensive, dangerous, unpredictable: there are many reservations about electric cars. We concentrate on seven – and fact check them.
Lithium mining: What you should know about the contentious issue
Electric cars are significant contributors to climate protection – but the mining of lithium for the batteries is often criticized. The discussion focuses on the extraction of raw materials in the South American salt deserts. Questions and answers for a more informed debate.
Fact-finding expedition to the lithium desert of Chile
Does lithium mining harm the inhabitants of the Atacama Desert in Chile? Repeated reports have been published – but for a reliable overall picture the facts are not available. Franziska Killiches, an expert for sustainable raw materials procurement at Volkswagen, therefore set out to investigate the matter herself.
„The efficiency of pure battery-electric vehicles is much higher” (Frank Welsch)
Battery-powered or hydrogen-powered electric cars? In Germany, this controversy never seems to come to an end. But the facts are clear. We explain the significant advantages of the electric drive over the fuel cell according to latest research. And why Volkswagen’s decision to push e-mobility forward is absolutely right.