Skip to main content

Volkswagen to Focus on Sustainability, Work with Policymakers on Electric Mobility Initiatives

  • CEO Matthias Müller: Automotive future should not be left to Silicon Valley  
  • Closer cooperation called for between industry and policy makers in expanding infrastructure and framework conditions
  • Volkswagen to have external and independent experts verify emission values of its vehicles in the future
  • Numerous EU parliamentarians visit company’s New Year’s reception in Brussels

The Volkswagen Group wants industrial companies and policy makers to work more closely on the future of mobility in the EU. Europe needs to take the technological lead in future areas of the automotive sector and work with policy makers to create the necessary framework conditions, demands Volkswagen CEO Matthias Müller at the company’s traditional New Year reception in Brussels. Whether digitization, autonomous driving or electric mobility – Europe should set the course “also in terms of infrastructure and the right legislative framework,” Müller told the numerous honorary guests and EU parliamentarians. “We must not leave this playing field to Silicon Valley.”

The Volkswagen Group wants policy makers and the automotive industry to cooperate more closely on digital transformation and electric mobility. “The efforts of our industry alone won’t be enough. We need to work together to make sure that Europe remains innovative and competitive as an industrial location in a rapidly changing world,” Müller emphasized in his speech. “A true breakthrough for electric mobility will only be achieved if politics, society and authorities work together more closely.” He used the lack of infrastructure as an example: Europe desperately needs an extensive network of 150 kW rapid charging stations. Customer trust in e-mobility will only grow “if there is a visible, functioning infrastructure,” said Müller convinced.

The CEO promised that Volkswagen would concentrate on sustainability “more than ever before” and that would include the company’s products, strategy and management. He will present the new Strategy 2025 for the Group this summer. Among other things, the company’s brands will introduce about 20 additional models with electrical or plug-in hybrid drive trains by 2020, announced the CEO.

When looking at the emissions issue of the past few weeks, Müller explained to the EU parliamentarians in Brussels: “We are using the current crisis to fundamentally realign the Group. I strongly feel we now have the chance to build a new and better Volkswagen.”

The CEO emphasized that Europe’s largest automobile manufacturer would have the emission values of its vehicles checked and certified by external and independent inspectors in the future. The company vehicles will also be tested randomly under real driving conditions, Müller went on to explain: “We hope this will help to win back trust.”

He was convinced: “The industry-wide discrepancies between the official test results and actual consumption are no longer accepted and no longer acceptable. We need to break new ground here.”

The CEO stated that EU-wide, comprehensive technical solutions for the approximately 8.5 million vehicles have been agreed. The retrofitting will start this week. Customers can rely on Volkswagen, emphasized Müller in Brussels: “We will manage the recall in the most customer friendly and best possible way.”

The Volkswagen Group has twelve brands from seven European countries. Volkswagen has more than 440,000 employees at 72 locations in Europe. The Group is the largest industrial investor in many EU countries. Müller emphasized that Volkswagen remains dedicated to Europe as a development and production location: “Volkswagen believes in Europe. And I see it as our and my core duty to make sure that Europe can trust Volkswagen in the future.”

The post Volkswagen to Focus on Sustainability, Work with Policymakers on Electric Mobility Initiatives appeared first on VWVortex.



from VWVortex http://ift.tt/1nlfH4z
via IFTTT
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Waterfest Moves to Atco Dragway

Waterfest 24 will be held at Atco Dragway, in Atco, New Jersey. The summer event will take place at its new venue on July 21 and 22. Long held in Englishtown, New Jersey, the festival has been such a large part of the VW scene that the latest iteration of the Golf even comes with optional “Englishtown” wheels . The new venue, however, is an NHRA drag track a scant 52 miles southwest of Englishtown. The ¼ mile drag track opened in 1960, which makes it the oldest drag strip in New Jersey. The announcement came today on a social media post that announced the new location. Waterfest is North America’s largest VW/Audi show. As many 20,000 people show up for the annual show, making the second largest show in the world—with Worthersee being number one. 2018 will be Waterfest’s 24 th year in existence. The post Waterfest Moves to Atco Dragway appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2GQjkuc via IFTTT
Post a Comment
Read more

Macau Gets Messy with 16-Car Pileup

The Macau Grand Prix is always good for an accident or two or 16— you may remember Audi’s race ending crash last year —and this year’s event didn’t disappoint. It didn’t take long for things to get messy on the tight road circuit. On the opening lap of the qualifying race a 16-car pileup caused the race to be suspended. Things kicked off when Daniel Juncadella hit a wall on the exit of Police bend, one of the tightest parts of the already tight circuit. The following car of Raffaele Marciello was able to avoid the carnage, but Laurens Vanthoor, who was in the upside-down Audi that ended the race last year, could not avoid Juncadella and together they blocked up the road pretty much completely. “I couldn’t see him [Juncadella] at first. Then I saw the car standing still,” Vanthoor told Motorsport. “I tried to brake but it was just understeering and I couldn’t do anything. There’s room for one car there and you’re blind.” Fourteen more cars would eventually crash into the corner c
Post a Comment
Read more

The First of its Kind: Integrated Engineering Releases Highly-Anticipated IE450T MK6 Golf R Turbo Kit

After two long years of development, the team at Integrated Engineering has finally announced the release of their IE450T kit for the MK6 Golf R. With their turbo kit bolted on right out of the box, the sport AWD hatch is transformed into a 450bhp monster, with hardly any noticeable increase in spool time. In fact, 435 ft-lbs of torque are achieved at all four wheels, at a mere 3300rpm! By now you are probably asking yourself how this is even possible on a 2.0L engine that made nearly half that power from the factory. By employing true twin-scroll technology into the cast turbo manifold and pairing it with a state-of-the-art BorgWarner EFR turbocharger, IE was able to keep spool time at a minimum and bring the fastest-spooling big turbo setup to the market. “We wanted to offer a kit that would dramatically increase the power output without making the car lose its amazing street-friendly drivability,” mentioned one of the IE engineers. We are told the IE450T leaves the car driving jus
Post a Comment
Read more