“In the Volkswagen Group, we feel that a new era is dawning.” On the eve of the 66th International Motor Show in Frankfurt (IAA), the Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG, Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, said: “We are in the process of reinventing the largest automobile manufacturer in Europe, and laying technological, economic and structural for it “basis. Group President announced that there are 20 electric and hybrid models plug until the year 2020; from compact models to the next Phaeton and Audi A8: “There is no commitment to this electric mobility more clear than this”.
He also noted that the Group now has the widest automotive electric fleet, adding that Volkswagen is also a leader in a field with so much future as digitization: “Our Group now has the largest fleet of connected vehicles on the roads. In 2020, we will have transformed all new vehicles in smartphones on wheels “.
Winterkorn said the group is working on all these new themes with the same intensity and passion that has led him to offer high quality finishes and the best combustion engines. “Technology leadership is no longer defined solely in terms of power and torque. We are adapting precision, lasting value and quality of our vehicles to the digital world,” said Winterkorn.
The right cars need for the right legal framework
According to Winterkorn: “In a time of great social and technological upheaval, people expect new answers, new
solutions and new directions for us.” Volkswagen is facing these challenges, commented, for example in terms of electric mobility, and thus shown at the IAA. “The Mission E Porsche and Audi e-tron quattro concept is nothing less than a quantum leap for our industry.” Both vehicles have an electric range of 500 kilometers. Winterkorn added that “the new Volkswagen Tiguan GTE embodies our determination to bring plug-in hybrid propulsion even more classes and vehicle segments.” The Group also exhibits and futuristic concepts for charging electric vehicles, such as “V-Charge” (Volkswagen) and “Turbo Charging” (Porsche) technologies. In its appeal to politicians, Winterkorn said: “We have the right cars What we need now is the right framework for this key technology grows in popularity”.
Further more than connected cars: autonomous driving and gesture control
In his speech in Frankfurt, Winterkorn has also commented that the digitization, the second major aspect of the future, and has long been part of the DNA of Volkswagen: “The connectivity and infotainment generation are already present in all our brands and classes of vehicles. Our group already has the largest fleet of connected vehicles on the roads, but we will not stop here: the end of this decade, we have transformed all new vehicles in smartphones on wheels “. Winterkorn, advanced as well that the Group is also “preparing the ground for one of the most fascinating technologies of our time: the autonomous driving.”
As Winterkorn explained: “Audi and Volkswagen are ensuring that our customers benefit as soon as possible of this technology: on highways, in city traffic or when looking for a parking space.” He also noted that digital entirely new operating concepts such as gesture control are not science fiction in Volkswagen, but “soon become reality in our vehicles.”
Volkswagen’s Board President said he does not remember another time when the company worked simultaneously in so many promising aspects as it is doing now. “At Volkswagen, we have the feeling that a new era is dawning. With ‘Future Tracks’, we were the first to convert the transformation of the automotive industry on a major issue, and is now giving us a result.” Referring to the new competitors in the technology industry, Winterkorn made clear that “Volkswagen does not move the driver’s seat: mobility in all its shapes and sizes remains our only area and passion, also in the digital age”.
Image over the headline.- Volkswagen eUp. © Volkswagen AG
