Together-2025 Strategy is “the biggest change in the history of Volkswagen”. It is with these words that Matthias Müller, CEO of the German group, addressed the 3000 shareholders meeting in Hannover: an assembly delicate shade of dieselgate, but also looks to the future.
Wolfsburg hi-tech. During the meeting, the top manager took over the lines of the plan should be a guide for the next decade, based on autonomous driving, digitization, new mobility (embodied by the agreement with Gett) and, especially, electrification: Müller aims to launch thirty new models with zero emissions by 2025, with an investment “only in the automotive industry.” As for robot cars, 100% autonomous solutions, developed in house, hit the market “at the beginning of the next decade.”
Diesel Particulate Filters for gasoline. In addition to the momentum on the electrical and technological front, Müller announced innovations for new TSI petrol and TDI engines, equipped with particle filters as of June of 2017: a recently announced measure also by Mercedes-Benz. Updates, said the CEO, will start from TSI 1.4-liter mounted on the new Volkswagen Tiguan and sull’Audi A5, reducing particulate emissions “by up to 90%: by 2022, we will adopt the technology of 7 million Volkswagen vehicles “. As for hydrogen, the strategy is to “stay on track” to be “ready when the time is ripe.”
Dieselgate, forward Golf. Müller updated shareholders on European interventions for the irregular engines: apparently, the German KBA approved another million calls, mostly related to the Golf and its variants, bringing to 3.7 million the total repairable vehicles. The green light concerns the Volkswagen Passat, the Tiguan and Caddy, all the Golf, the Seat Exeo, Skoda Superb and the Audi A3, A4 and Q5. “We expect an acceleration of the campaign – said the CEO – In the coming weeks, tens of thousands of owners will receive an invitation to bring the car in the workshops.” The message to shareholders is clear: “What has been done can not be deleted, but we can ensure we act responsibly. This is our commitment: management wants to do everything possible to regain confidence.”
The countermeasures. Speaking of dieselgate, Müller recalled the results of internal and external investigations: “Based on what we now know, in the past there were some deficits in the technical divisions, associated with the misconduct of individuals”. The Group has some of the suggested solutions have already put into practice, including the approval of the multi-level processes. In addition, the CEO has confirmed that internal emissions testing – supported by tests in real conditions – will be certified by independent third parties. Unlike Europe, the US, Volkswagen has yet to gain EPA approval and the California Carb: rumors talk about a possible plan by $ 10 billion (8.9 billion euro) to repair or buy back the cars involved in the scandal. Wolfsburg, however, they did not arrive denials or confirmations.
Transformation in progress. From the industry perspective, Müller recalled the “realignment” of the strategic production and sixty innovations that the Group will launch on the market during the year: among them, the new Volkswagen Tiguan, the Audi Q2, Seat Ateca and the Porsche Panamera. In terms of budgets, 2016 will be the year of “discipline”, but also of the “transformation” of the Group in a company “best”, led by technology and new mobility. A step which according to Müller “revolutionize” completely the business of Volkswagen. D.C.
No comments:
Post a Comment