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How to save Volkswagen. By a VW exec (name withheld)

Picture courtesy Volkswagen

A Volkswagen exec who – understandably – would prefer to remain anonymous, sent me this turn-around plan for his embattled employer. Submitted without further comment.

Stop the single-minded focus on headcount alone.
Dissolve Cariad. Move responsibilities back to the brand groups.
Source state-of-the-art mobility and connectivity solutions from suppliers.
Outside of core competency areas, cooperate with suppliers in early phases of development, abandon expensive and non-functioning do-it-yourself.
Immediately stop in-house development and production of batteries. Volkswagen Group builds cars, not batteries.
Completely revamp vehicle production (unboxing-concepts.) Dump our old fashioned methods.
Start-Of-Production (SOP) planning must become reliable again, not a moving target.
Set drastically higher standards for quality and features of on-board software, especially ADAS.
R&D engineers must research and develop again, must stop playing coordinator for suppliers (double costing.)
Shorter development cycles, especially for software. Software does not follow multi-year cycles.
Reduce involvement of consultants.
Cancel investment into marginal companies like Northvolt, Rivian, Varta, or Xpeng.
Lobby governments to end CO2 penalties, stop technological bias, be open to new ideas.

Filed Under: Auto Industry, Volkswagen Tagged With: Anonymous First published on October 9, 2024 2:15 pm

Germany BEV Monthly 9/24: Volkswagen amped, Tesla drained

There must be two different Volkswagen Groups: One Volkswagen Group that must close factories and fire workers because it allegedly missed the bus on software and electric cars. And another Volkswagen Group that sells nearly half of Germany’s BEVs and turns the supposed disruptor Tesla into an also-ran.

According to Germany’s regulator Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt KBA, Germany’s September new car registrations came in 7% below the same month of the previous year. BEVs increased their sales by 8.7%. Tesla did not partake in that growth. Their September sales were down 10.9% YOY. For the year, Tela’s German registrations are down an alarming 41.9%

Much maligned Volkswagen turned into a BEV powerhouse. Across all its many brands, Volkswagen Group claimed 41.9% of the German BEV market in September. The Enyaq of Volkswagen’s value brand Skoda even could dethrone Tesla’s Model Y as Germany’s best-selling BEV of the month September. Volkswagen’s ID.7 came in 3^rd.

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