https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new- ... guys-again

Autocar ha intervistato il capo del design del marchio Vw.
Due spunti interessanti:

1) Vw prenderà ispirazione da modelli di successo, in primo luogo Golf e Tiguan, l’idea ID di rendere il design distante dai modelli classici è morta e sepolta.
2) il design verrà maggiormente regionalizzato. Secondo Mindt i consumatori cinesi tendono ad avere BEV più coraggiose dal punto di vista del design. Gli europei preferiscono un maggiore livello di classicità. In America Vw punta molto su Scout, vogliono vendere pick e suv full size mentre Ford ha floppato alla grande. Buona fortuna

Ogni tanto mi chiedo cosa succederebbe se i manager delle grandi case dessero un'occhiata alle discussioni su Live2Drive prima di decidere strategie strane.

Sicuramente eviterebbero cantonate clamorose, ma, altrettanto sicuramente non azzarderebbero mosse disruptive (vorrei vedere la EX30 che commenti avrebbe raccolto qui sopra )

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Alla guida di una KIA SPORTAGE 1.6 Turbo Benza Ibrida
Guidavo una Stelvio senza Apple CarPlay
Guidavo una sorprendente svedese - V90 D4
Guidavo una bella A6 SW TDI Grigio Floret. Veloce Comoda Bella Anonima
Guidavo una anonima e puzzolente 320d Touring MSport...
Guidavo una splendida Range Rover Evoque... Si, si girano tutti al semaforo...
Guidavo una fantastica A5 Sportback S-Line, 2.0 TDI 170cv...

Sarebbe un mondo migliore

O probabilmente la 75 sarebbe ancora in produzione al suo 22 esimo restyling

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Toyota RAV4 2.5 Hybrid Lounge - 2019
Lexus Ux250h 4wd Luxury - 2020
Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 - 2022
Saab 9.3 Cabrio 2.0T SE- 1998

Ho ricordi orripilanti della 75 TS di mio babbo ... lui che tanto la volle gli furono sufficienti 28 giorni per portarla in concessionaria VW e attendere 12 la Passat Variant

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http://www.teamtoyota4x4forum.org/

HAI VINTO

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Alla guida di una KIA SPORTAGE 1.6 Turbo Benza Ibrida
Guidavo una Stelvio senza Apple CarPlay
Guidavo una sorprendente svedese - V90 D4
Guidavo una bella A6 SW TDI Grigio Floret. Veloce Comoda Bella Anonima
Guidavo una anonima e puzzolente 320d Touring MSport...
Guidavo una splendida Range Rover Evoque... Si, si girano tutti al semaforo...
Guidavo una fantastica A5 Sportback S-Line, 2.0 TDI 170cv...

Volkswagen AG is pushing back plans to seek outside investors for its battery unit after slower demand for electric vehicles dims prospects for the business, with the industry facing an increasingly daunting reality in the EV transition. 

Non è un annuncio inatteso ma fa lo stesso notizia. Vw ha ufficialmente rinunciato a portare in borsa la divisione che sviluppa e produce batterie. Ieri Renault ha ammesso che non avrebbe avuto senso far sbarcare Ampere in borsa. Per quanto riguarda VW non solo c'è una crescita del mercato Bev inferiori alle attese, in più produrre batterie in Europa non è per niente competitivo. I costi energetici e i costi di approvvigionamento delle materie prime sono molto più alti rispetto ai concorrenti cinesi che godono di una maggiore integrazione verticale. È un problema grosso per VW, l'apertura di queste giga factories costa tantissimo, anche per un costruttore grosso come VW sarà un problema senza investitori esterni.

Ma su che bel palo ci siamo seduti ...

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http://www.teamtoyota4x4forum.org/

German carmaking giant Volkswagen plans to invest roughly 16 billion reais (€3.3 billion) in Brazil by 2028, more than doubling Volkswagen's plans for the market.

Volkswagen had previously announced plans for investing about 7 billion reais in Brazil by 2026. Volkswagen's Brazilian subsidiary announced the latest investment plans on Friday.

The Volkswagen Group plans to introduce 16 new models in the Brazilian market by 2028, including hybrid and all-electric vehicles, according to the company.

Volkswagen "was the brand that most grew in sales volume in 2023 and led the most important SUV and passenger car segments in Brazil last year," said Volkswagen do Brazil chief executive Ciro Possobom.

"Now, Volkswagen reaffirms its trust in Brazil," Possobom said.

The new models include a pick-up truck to be manufactured at the VW plant in São José dos Pinhais and a vehicle to be built entirely in Brazil at the factory in Taubaté.

A new engine for hybrid vehicles is to be manufactured at the plant in São Carlos.

Possobom said that the investments will initially be aimed at projects to de-carbonize Volkswagen's four plants in Brazil.

According to figures from the company, Volkswagen increased its sales in Brazil last year by 29.5% to 345,039 vehicles. With a market share of 15.8%, Volkswagen do Brasil is second only to rival Stellantis' Fiat brand in the South American country.

The VW Polo was the best-selling car in Brazil in 2023, according to Volkswagen.

Vw aumenta gli investimenti nella divisione brasiliana. Da 3 anni i tedeschi riescono di nuovo a realizzare profitti nel mercato sud americano però sono lontanissimi da Stellantis per redditività e vendite. Soprattutto Vw non è riuscita a replicare il successo della Jeep Compass con la Taos (sarebbe la Seat Ateca). Entro 2 anni verrano lanciate una mini suv e un pick up anti Fiat Toro. Vw ha abbandonato il segmento A cancellando un modello storico come la Gol, non trovo l’idea molto brillante. Nel breve termine verranno introdotte motorizzazioni ibride però entro 5 anni Vw produrrà localmente un B-suv elettrico (dovrebbe essere l’erede della T-Cross).

La Gol è stata l'auto del rilancio di mio cugino argentino ... venne in Italia nel 1989 vendendo tutto quello che poteva vendere per un biglietto di sola andata che per risparmiare gli fece impiegare 2 giorni per arrivare girando tutto il mondo.
2 anni di lavoro in Italia e tornò in Argentina da signore.

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http://www.teamtoyota4x4forum.org/

La Gol storicamente era la versione impoverita della Polo, è stata per circa 3 decenni l'auto più venduta in Brasile mentre VW perdeva sempre più quote di mercato. Che non le diano un'erede diretta è strano (l'erede indiretta è la nostra Polo del 2017 con molto decontenting).
A fine 2024 presenteranno un mini suv.

https://www.manager-magazin.de/unterneh ... 2b6f832638

Un nuovo da Silva? Audi ha nominato Massimo Fascella come nuovo capo del design. Fascella era fino a poco tempo fa capo del design di La d Rover. Internamente non pochi erano insoddisfatti del design delle ultime Audi.

BLYTHEWOOD, S.C. — Volkswagen Group is determined to keep Scout Motors free and independent, but the upstart automaker is already discovering the benefits of the mothership's vast resources.

Scout's commitment to design, engineer and build a rugged electric SUV and work pickup tailored for America's off-road enthusiasts took a major step forward on Thursday when ground was broken on the $2 billion Scout Motors Production Center here.

The plant will eventually span 1,100 acres and have peak annual capacity of 200,000 vehicles. Scout has said it will eventually employ 4,000 workers at the factory.

Output is slated to begin in late 2026.

Scout's ties to the world's second-largest automaker have not been lost on the company's first employee, CEO Scott Keogh.

"As a pure play startup, if we wanted to put a plant together and go do the hirings and the ecosystem and logistics and everything else, we wouldn't be where we are at this stage," Keogh told a small group of journalists here.

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Scaling parts
The benefits for Scout will trickle down to key procurement areas that will utilize Volkswagen Group's global supply chain and parts catalog, when possible.

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"Where there is an opportunity, and the component works, we are scaling components," Keogh said, without specifying what those parts might be on Scout vehicles.

When looking at parts supply cost targets and hitting ramp-up schedules, Keogh said Scout is seeing terms that would be quite different if the brand was a startup without VW Group's backing.

"Where possible, we are bundling, bundling, bundling and this is huge," said Keogh, the former head of Volkswagen Group of America and Audi of America.

Zeroing in
Keogh said Scout wants to "zero in on" its own design and engineering while aligning with Volkswagen Group for purchasing and production.

"This is what we spend a lot of our time doing: What are the things that we can take off the shelf that's smart and not reinvent the wheel and what are the things we can differentiate on and make a real difference," Keogh said.


JACK WALSWORTH
One key area is battery procurement. With many consumers balking at higher prices for electric vehicles, the battery, already among the most expensive components, has become a new focus for cost containment at every automaker.

Scout hasn't identified a battery cell supplier but Keogh said the batteries used in one VW Group product, the VW ID4, won't work for the brand he leads.

Volkswagen Group's in-house battery subsidiary, PowerCo, is building its first North American battery cell plant in St. Thomas, Ontario, to establish a regional supply chain for EVs in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.

Keogh said PowerCo "certainly offers opportunities and we'll announce when we're ready."

Scout plans to unveil an SUV and pickup in the third quarter.

‘Huge opportunity'
The two Scout light trucks will ride on a new body-on-frame platform that executives insist is unique to the brand.

"This is not a twin, or a brother or a daughter, to any of the known platforms that we ever had in the group"" said Jan Spies, Scout's chief production officer. Spies was previously Volkswagen Group's head of planning and production technology.

Scout's independence will also flow to production and the factory floor.

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Rather than using the same production equipment in other VW Group plants, Spies said Scout will deploy special tooling where necessary. “This is [a] disadvantage in terms of speed,” he said. “But … a huge opportunity to really deliver the cars. ... that [have] to be unique for that market.”

Christian Vollmer, a member of Volkswagen Group's extended executive committee for production and logistics, said Scout has been freed up to create and produce a truck and an SUV designed precisely for U.S. customers — from the drawing board to the factory floor.

"It starts as a standalone electric platform and goes all the way to the great design, which will be really 'Scout,' " Vollmer said at the groundbreaking ceremony, adding that customers will be delighted with the products.

"What fascinates me as a production guy is that with the new construction of the Scout manufacturing center, we are also creating a production [center] of the future — a role model for the entire group that sets new standards with many innovations," Vollmer said.

Spies said the plant will aim to build roughly 40 vehicles per hour with a certain level of flexibility.

"We do have the opportunity to build all the ideas that are, at the moment, in the sketchbook of our designers and marketing people," Spies said, without specifying details. "Whatever we want, we can do in that factory."

And if production glitches are encountered, Scout can still turn to Volkswagen Group for help, Spies said, while acknowledging Vollmer's support: "He's the one who lets us go, who gives us the freedom to really do what we want to do differently," he said.

‘The right thing for Scout'
Scout is forging full speed ahead as growth in EV sales slows. Many automakers, including General Motors, Ford and Tesla, are dialing back on near-term output.

Roughly 40 percent of EV manufacturing capacity in the U.S. was utilized in 2023, AutoForecast Solutions Inc. estimates, and that number is expected to rise to about 46 percent this year. With new EV plants coming on line but not expected to be fully utilized for years, the rate of utilization should reach 60 percent by the end of the decade, said Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting for AutoForecast Solutions. But getting above that will require quicker acceptance of EVs than is anticipated, he added.

While Volkswagen has a history of being the "people's car," the automaker's off-road-capable products have never fully connected with buyers outside of Europe, Fiorani said, posing a challenge in targeting, for one, the American Jeep brand.

"The hope is that Scout devotees will line up to purchase the SUVs reborn with a modern electric drivetrain," he said.

But how those devotees will purchase Scout's vehicles remains unclear. Keogh again declined to say how Scout plans to sell and service the pickup and SUV once production begins in late 2026.

"There's a lot of dynamics in the marketplace," Keogh said. "We want to do the right thing for Scout, the right thing for our customers."


Vw ha iniziato la costruzione per l’impianto in South Carolina per la produzione di 2 modelli Scout. Il pianale sarà specifico, in gran parte sviluppato da Magna, non avrà praticamente niente in comune con le piattaforme MEB e PPE. Ci saranno una suv elettrica e un pick up elettrico delle dimensioni del Ford F-150. Il rischio è enorme, il modello F-150 Lightning è andato malissimo, vedremo come andranno il Silverado elettrico e il RAM 1500 elettrico. I presupposti proprio non ci sono.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/audi-hea ... p_catchall


Il nuove ceo di Audi ha licenziato il capo dello sviluppo tecnico, non un buon segnale dato che la casa di Ingolstadt ha già subito mega ritardi nel lancio dei modelli. L’atmosfera è piuttosto tesa, anche la direttrice delle vendite e marketing sarebbe a rischio.

Vw ha mostrato un teaser sul pianale XPeng, arriverà anche una berlina tipo Passat.
Vedremo se Vw riuscirà a tamponare il calo delle quote in Cina.
Per molti analisti è già troppo tardi.

Questo è il programma prodotti di Audi nei prossimi 2 anni. La casa di Ingolstadt non ha lanciato nessun modello nuovo in ben 3 anni, un’eternità.
Anche questa tabella è troppo ottimistica. Di sicuro arriveranno nel 2024 Q6 e Tron, A5 e Q5. Già la A6 probabilmente verrà posticipata al 2025. La nuova Q3 dovrebbe arrivare a metà 2025.
Della A4 berlina elettrica si parla da anni ma non ci sono alcune foto spy, segno che sono in altissimo mare.

Vw ha chiuso un 2023 non da incorniciare. Le vendite sono cresciute meno delle attese, soprattutto le vendite delle BEV non raggiungono le aspettative. La redditività è salita (escludendo le imposte straordinarie) ma è lontana anni luce da quella di Stellantis. Blume si è comunque detto fiducioso. Il 2024 vedrà più di 30 lanci globali, vogliono aumentare la quota di BEV dal 8,3% al 9-11%, senza modelli di volume e senza incentivi statali se lo possono scordare. Tutti gli analisti scommettono che Vw non riuscirà a rientrare nei limiti nel 2025 e sarà costretta a pagare multe.
Molti cambiamenti riorganizzativi sono stati introdotti nel 2023, Audi e Vw hanno iniziato i piani di ristrutturazione così come Cariad. Nel 2027 dovrebbe arrivare l’entry level BEV a marchio Vw.

Audi CEO Gernot Döllner said the VW Group premium brand was committed to going fully electric starting in 2033 despite a market slowdown, as it launches two key EVs this year, the Q6 E-tron SUV and the A6 sedan, a sibling model.

The last new Audi internal-combustion engine models will be launched in 2026, Döllner said Tuesday at the automaker’s annual news conference in Ingolstadt, Germany. Those models will be built on the new Premium Platform Combusion, or PPC, architecture, which will debut this year on the next-generation A5 and Q5. The A5 and Q5 will also benefit from a new electric/electronic architecture, Döllner said.

The Q6 E-tron is the first model on the Porsche/Audi Premium Platform Electric, or PPE, architecture, which it shares with the Porsche Macan. It will arrive at dealerships in the second half after a delay of over two years partly due to software issues.

“Our vision is quite clear. We’re fully committed to electric mobility,” Döllner said, adding that a combination of full-electric, ICE and plug-in hybrid models would be available in all regions for the 10 years, with an EV-only lineup expected around 2033. “But if there are waves or fluctuations in the transition we can react to them.”

Audi wants to earn as much money from electric cars as from combustion engines by the end of the decade. Currently, EVs bring in about 28 percent of revenue, with ICE models at 72 percent, Audi said Tuesday.

RELATED ARTICLE

Audi CEO nudges back EV rollout amid market wobbles
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Döllner said Audi was preparing its largest new model initiative in its history, with about 20 launches planned through the end of 2025, although he did not distinguish between face-lifts and completely new cars.

In addition to the new Q6 and A6, by 2027 Audi will have a full-electric vehicle in “all core segments,” Döllner said.

He said Audi would launch an EV that would sit below the A4/Q4 compact models “in the medium term.”

“This is something we’ve been discussing very actively in the past few months,” he said. 
“In the medium term an additional EV below the Q4 will be launched.” He described it as a “unique, independent vehicle concept” that would be produced at the Ingolstadt factory.

'Transition year' in 2024
Döllner and CFO Jürgen Rittersberger described 2024 as a “transition” year, with potentially lower sales, partly due to the introduction of new models as that usually means a drop in delivery figures ahead of the new launches. The brand’s global sales in 2023 were about 1.9 million, an increase of 17 percent. Sales of EVs were up by 51 percent.

Cash inflow will fall to between 2.5 billion euros and 3.5 billion euros ($2.71 billion and $3.79 billion), partly because investments in the new vehicles are imminent. In addition, there will be some continued supply bottlenecks, Rittersberger said.

The CFO said Audi had launched an austerity program to achieve its goal of a 14 percent return on sales, including improved sales and lower product costs, but did not give details. Return on sales in 2023 was 9 percent.

Reuters contributed to this report

Audi non ha fornito un outlook positivo per il 2024, vendite, profitti e fatturato scenderanno. Durante l’anno in corso verranno presentate A5, Q6 Etron, Q5 e A6 e-Tron, non poco.
Nel medio termine arriverà un nuovo modello BEV al di sotto della Q4 e non sarà la A3 (che diventerà BEV nel 2026).

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March 22, 2024 06:06 AM
Cupra CEO confirms U.S. market entry by 2030
Wayne Griffiths, the CEO of VW Group's Seat/Cupra brands, said Cupra would sell two BEVs, the next-generation Formentor compact SUV and a larger model, in the U.S.

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Cupra Formentor 2023 front
Cupra's models for the U.S. market will include the next-generation Formentor compact SUV as a full-electric model. The current generation is shown.
BARCELONA – Cupra will enter the U.S. market by 2030 with two full-electric SUVs, the next-generation compact Formentor and a larger model, CEO Wayne Griffiths said.

U.S. sales will start on the East and West Coasts, Griffiths said Thursday at Seat/Cupra’s annual news conference in Barcelona. There will be a “new distribution model,” he said, without giving details.

Griffiths said in September at the Munich auto show that Cupra, which is part of Volkswagen Group, was considering a U.S. entry. VW Group sells the VW brand there, as well as premium and luxury brands including Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini and Porsche. It is also starting the truck- and SUV-focused Scout brand.

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Cupra, originally a performance variant of Seat models, became a stand-alone brand in 2018 under former Seat CEO Luca de Meo, now CEO of Renault Group.

The next-generation Formentor will be launched toward the end of the decade and will be one of the brand’s most important products, Griffiths said. It will be built on the future VW Group SSP platform, he said.

The production location has not been decided, Griffiths said, adding that he would like it to be built in Seat’s factory in Martorell, near Barcelona.


Coming Cupra models include, from left, the Tavascan, front left, the Terramar, rear, and the Ravel (shown as the Urban Rebel concept).
A face-lifted version of the current Formentor will be unveiled in a few weeks in Madrid. The Formentor accounted for more than half of Cupra’s global sales in 2023, according to Seat: 120,000 units were sold worldwide, out of a total of 230,000 for the brand (a 50 percent increase on 2022).

The second Cupra model for the U.S. market, a crossover SUV larger than the Formentor, will be produced at Volkswagen Group factories in the North America region, including Mexico, Griffiths said.

Cupra is launching three new models by the end of 2025. Sales will start by the end of June for the Tavascan, a midsize electric SUV built in China. It will be followed in the third quarter of this year by the Terramar ICE-based crossover, which will be built in Audi’s factory in Gyor, Hungary, alongside a sibling VW Group model, the Audi Q3. At the end of 2025, Cupra will unveil the Raval, a small electric hatchback that will be launched in the first half of 2026.

The Raval will be the first of four VW group small BEVs underpinned by a shortened version of the MEB platform. The Raval and VW’s version, the ID2, will be assembled in Martorell; the Skoda Epiq SUV and an as-yet- unnamed VW brand SUV will be built in VW’s factory in Pamplona, Spain.


Cupra ha confermato lo sbarco negli Stati Uniti nel 2030. In realtà Cupra avrebbe dovuto iniziare le vendite in Cina nel 2023 ma a causa del taglio dei costi voluto da Vw China non se n'è fatto nulla. Cupra offrirà due suv elettrici, uno sarà dell’erede della Formentor, l’altro sarà di segmento D, probabilmente prodotto a Chattanooga.
Vw in Nord America continua a stentare, lanciare un nuovo marchio non mi sembra affatto una soluzione logica.

ti ricordo che vogliono anche lanciare scout

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"Scusi, ma lei ha preso la patente di guida veloce?"

Scout rischia di essere una catastrofe.
Vogliono lanciare un pick up full size elettrico. Vw non ha esperienza nel settore ed infatti il pianale sarà sviluppato da Magna Steyer, in tal modo le sinergie con il resto della gamma saranno ridotte. Ford vende centinaia di migliaia di F-150 e con la variante Lightining è andata a sbattere con il muro. Come pensa VW di riuscire dove Ford ha fallito?

Audi CEO Gernot Döllner faces many challenges to bring the Volkswagen Group brand back to the technological level of rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz as well as new competitors from China. He spoke about Audi's coming products, its shift to EVs and the gradual phase-out of combustion engines in an interview with Automotive News Europe sister publication Automobilwoche.

You took over as Audi CEO in enormously challenging times. Have you been brought in as a firefighter?

No, my job is to bring Audi to the forefront again. Immediately after I started, we defined the areas to focus on. The core is four focal points: product, technology, brand and the regions of China and North America.

What has changed in the rollout of new products?

The most important thing was to equalize the product strategy in three respects. First, the start-ups of the first two models on the PPE platform, the Q6 E-tron and the A6 E-tron. Then, there are the more than 20 planned model launches for full-electric models, combustion engines and plug-in hybrids in 2024 and 2025. And finally, a focused and less complex target portfolio by 2030.

How did you equalize the run-ups? Was it about production or development?

Above all, it was about the sum and complexity of all the start-ups. From development to production and from hardware to software. It was important to us to ensure achievability, stability and quality. For this reason, we have rearranged the vehicle projects and set them up in a stable position.


Audi Q6 E-tron
Were there any efforts to develop your own software and no longer use Volkswagen Group's Cariad software unit?

No. We are working together with Cariad on the electronics architecture. Everything that comes onto the market in the next few years will be created together with Cariad.

Will Audi's electric strategy change? There is currently a great deal of EV skepticism in the market.

The speed of transformation may fluctuate here and there, but the main theme is clear: We will all go electric. That's the way, that's technologically clear.

Does Audi still plan to phase out the sale of combustion engines in Europe and North America by 2033?

Yes, it stays that way. We will position ourselves well with a new generation of all-electric models, combustion engines and plug-in hybrids, and we will be able to act flexibly if necessary. But I don't think that will be necessary.

Why not?

We will see significantly reduced sales volumes for combustion engines as early as 2026, so that the trick for us is an intelligent portfolio streamlining. Otherwise, the volumes per vehicle will be so low that it is no longer feasible, especially for suppliers. We are already standardizing components, but we will gradually leave certain segments and body styles for combustion-engine cars. Anything else would not make economic sense.

What is the maximum length of time you could keep your last combustion-engine generation on the market?

There is no relevant market for Audi in which the combustion engine will continue to run indefinitely. In China, our last combustion engines, which we will present in 2026, will probably not go on sale until the following year. If you assume a classic life cycle of seven years, you are set up for the middle of the next decade.

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Despite EV slowdown, Audi sticks to strategy with key Q6, A6 E-tron launches
What if the political situation changes if right-wing populists win the European Parliament elections in June, or if Donald Trump wins the U.S. presidential election in November?

In principle, I am not opposed to a debate about openness to technology. At the same time, however, we have long had relevant legislation in place in all markets to reduce CO2 emissions and exhaust emissions. At present, there is no other technology than electromobility that could achieve these goals. Even if there is a willingness to change the laws again, we would not have a new political situation before the end of this decade. Until then, the current regulations apply, and we are able to act within them.

As Audi's chief development officer as well as CEO, you are now also responsible for the concepts for the luxury full-electric models Landjet and Landyacht. What is the status of these vehicles, which are due to be built at your Neckarsulm, Germany, plant as early as 2027?

The electric D [midsize] segment is of great interest to us. We are still in the early stages of product planning. I am intensively involved and am sure that the result will be highly attractive for our customers.

Will the launch dates change?

We are currently thinking in different directions as to how we implement the concepts. For me, it's all about delivering first, then talking.

Audi will also get a vehicle developed with VW Group's software-defined vehicle hub. What do you expect from it?

The topic is very close to my heart. In my previous role as VW Group‘s chief strategist, I helped to come up with the basic concept. The software is being developed under the leadership of Cariad. The Volkswagen brand and Audi are each developing a vehicle that will be in a similar segment to maximize synergies. It's easy to sum up what we're planning to do there: three partners, two vehicles, one team and one software stack under one roof. That's the idea.

Why do you have to create a new project for this and not simply implement the concept in your existing development?

Because we need to separate innovation and scale. In the past, we have tried to take a big innovative step in software for too many vehicles at the same time. We are doing things differently now. That's why we want to develop two individual vehicle projects in this new way before we deal with the question of scaling. The SDV hub is a speedboat with innovative teams that try new things for the various brands at a fast pace.

RELATED ARTICLE

Audi eyes partners, Hyundai commits billions to make software-defined vehicle shift
For the Chinese market, you have acquired a platform from SAIC. What will these vehicles be called?

You can assume that vehicles that the Audi brand brings to the market will be badged as Audis. It's too early to talk about further details about the planned models.

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Audi names company veteran as China boss as it seeks to boost EV sales
All these measures are intended to help Audi catch up competitors that are ahead in technology. How long will it be until Audi once more can boast "Vorsprung durch Technik" (Keeping ahead through technology)?

Audi is already ahead in key areas. Take propulsion technology, efficiency, charging times as well as chassis frames and driving experience. Are we ahead in all areas? No, but I think we're already well positioned.

Nevertheless, BMW with its upcoming Neue Klasse cars and Mercedes with its electric-first MMA both promise technological leaps. When will you be back on par with your traditional rivals?

Our goal is not only to be on an equal footing, but also to get ahead of these two competitors, and we have some way to go.


Intervista di automobilwoche a Döllner, ceo di Audi. Nonostante lo scetticismo nei confronti della velocità dello spostamento verso la mobilità elettrica Audi conferma che lancerà il suo ultimo modello ICE nel 2026, entro il 2033 non verranno più venduti modelli con motore a combustione. Tra il 2024 e il 2025 verranno lanciati più di 20 nuovi modelli (n.b. vengono inclusi anche i restyling). Audi deve essere di nuovo al livello di Mercedes e Bmw. Il progetto Landjet (le eredi della A8, sarebbero dovute arrivare nel 2025) è stato per l’ennesima volta rivisto, adesso hanno ricominciato praticamente tutto dall’inizio.

China’s EV competition is so fierce that Volkswagen ‘cannot keep up’ and should avoid ‘utopian expectations,’ says its CEO
Fortune
STEVE MOLLMAN
April 6, 2024 at 10:39 PM

Michael Kappeler/picture alliance via Getty Images
Competing against Chinese electric vehicles in China is no easy task. Just ask the CEO of Volkswagen.

The automaker "cannot keep up at the top of the table at the moment” in China’s EV sector, VW chief Oliver Blume told Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in a Friday interview, as spotted by Reuters.

VW had long been China’s best-selling automotive brand, but last year it was overtaken by Chinese rival BYD, which sells both EVs and plug-in hybrids but no longer produces traditional cars. BYD, backed by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, also beat Tesla for the first time in global sales of electric vehicles in the fourth quarter of last year, although Elon Musk’s carmaker reclaimed the crown in the first three months of this year.

With sales of traditional vehicles declining in China, carmakers more focused on EVs have been gaining market share at the expense of legacy automakers. VW, with its local partners, still sells traditional vehicles in China, in addition to a relatively small number of EVs compared to BYD.

The intense competition in China’s EV space is having ripple effects both within and outside the country. Last month, Bloomberg reported that Tesla planned to reduce production at its Shanghai plant, with the carmaker facing ever stiffer competition from Chinese rivals offering more affordable EVs with all manner of features.

Chinese EV makers 'extremely good'

Across the globe, legacy automakers have been taken aback by the prices at which Chinese EV makers—which are rapidly expanding exports—can offer their vehicles. In the U.S., trade groups and lawmakers are warning about Chinese EV makers possibly gaining market entry through Mexico and want already tough protectionist measures to be strengthened. In the EU, the European Commission is looking into whether Chinese EV makers have an unfair advantage thanks to government subsidies, and could recommend higher tariffs.

“If there are no trade barriers established,” Musk said earlier this year of Chinese automakers, “they will pretty much demolish most other car companies in the world. They’re extremely good.”

“No one can match BYD on price. Period,” Michael Dunne, CEO of Asia-focused car consultancy Dunne Insights, told the Financial Times in January. “Boardrooms in America, Europe, Korea, and Japan are in a state of shock.”

Interestingly Australia, which has no legacy automakers to protect, is putting up no roadblocks to Chinese EV makers, which are quickly expanding there.

In Japan last month, Nissan and Honda, facing the looming threat of Chinese EV giants, announced a once unthinkable partnership to develop electric vehicles together.

“The rise of emerging players is becoming faster and stronger,” Honda president Toshihiro Mibe told the Financial Times. “Companies that cannot respond to the changes will be wiped out.”

Similarly, Ford said in February it’s open to cooperating with rivals to lower EV production costs, with GM signaling a similar willingness. Both cited the rising threat from China.

As for Volkswagen, it said it might collaborate on mass-market EVs with French rival Renault, also with Chinese up-and-comers in mind.

As for competing on EVs within China, said VW chief Blume, his carmaker "shouldn't have utopian expectations."

Blume in un’intervista alla Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung ammette che Vw non riesce a competere con i costruttori cinesi nei segmenti BEV. La casa tedesca nel 2019 aveva una quota di mercato in Cina del 18%, adesso è del 12% e scenderà sicuramente. Per Blume già avere una quota di mercato a doppia cifra è molto ambizioso.
La ricetta per limitare i danni risiede nelle alleanze con XPENG e SAIAC, nel 2026 il marchio,Vw lancerà un suv e una berlina di segmento D, mentre Audi sempre nel 2026 lancerà 2 modelli di segmento F su pianali cinesi. Brandstätter (ceo di Vw China) sta facendo sviluppare una variante delle MEB da lanciare a fine 2026 con prezzi ridotti e molto software di provenienza cinese. Sicuramente un’ammissione amara per Blume.

Il gruppo Vw ha aumentato le vendite globali del 3,1% nei primi tre mesi del 2024, meno del mercato. Le elettriche in Europa sono crollate del 24%, altro che 15% sul totale.

https://www.manager-magazin.de/unterneh ... ae04c1f1a7

Interessante analisi di manager Magazin sulla situazione di Vw in Cina. Da decenni questi mercato è stato la principale causa dell’ascesa di Vw, portava miliardi di euro di dividendi, crescite importanti, in più permetteva di sviluppare modelli per altri mercati (nel caso di Vw Nord e Sud America) che non avevano i numeri di vendita per giustificare gli investimenti.
Vw ha già avuto momenti di crisi in questo specifico mercato ad esempio nel 2004 e nel 2012, ma è sempre riuscita a consolidare se non addirittura a migliorare la propria posizione.
Adesso sia la divisione cinese che la centrale a Wolfsburg ammettono che non sarà più possibile mantenere il primato delle vendite.
La strategia Id era stata concepita principalmente per il mercato cinese, l’idea era di vendere il 60% del totale mondiale proprio nell’ex impero celeste.
I numeri sono oltre il disastro, nel primo trimestre del 2024 le vendite delle BEV locali sono salite del 91% ma solo perché Vw è stata costretta a tagliare i listini del 35-40% creando dei crateri nei conti. Vw riesce ancora a vendere bene le ICE ma la loro quota sta calando in maniera vistosa, si parla di fenomeno Nokia perché i finlandesi riuscivano a vendere ancora milioni di “dumb phones” mentre gli smartphone Android e Apple divoravano quote di mercato.
L’alleanza del marchio Vw con XPENG e di Audi con SAIAC sono state vissute come umiliazioni sia in Cina che in Germania ma le analisi interne mostravano confronti impietosi, ad esempio SAIAC fornirà una base tecnica per berline e suv di segmenti E per Audi con un costo inferiore di 2 miliardi rispetto ad un progetto interno e un software nettamente migliore a quello della piattaforma PPE appena sfornata da Porsche e Audi.
In una situazione così nera per mantenere almeno le quote attuali Wolfsburg dovrà mettere mano al portafogli, nel 2021 Diess era arrivato vicino a comprare la divisione automotive di Huawei per ben 10 miliardi di euro ma i problemi geopolitici e il prezzo salato fecero fallire l’accordo. Brandstätter ha già sborsato 3,5 miliardi per il nuovo centro di sviluppo, 2,1 miliardi per l’accordo per lo sviluppo Software e 700 milioni per il 5% di XPENG. Arriveranno ai famigerati 10 miliardi pur con dividendi calati del 75%.
Bisogna anche dire che le altre case non cinesi stanno soffrendo moltissimo, Hyundai, Gm e Toyota sono crollate come vendite mentre Ford e Stellantis sono state praticamente spazzate via.
La strategia prodotto verrà completamente rivoluzionata, il nuovo pianale CMP (variante del MEB) dovrà raggiungere prezzi base di 20.000 dollari, i tempi di sviluppo dovranno essere ridotti del 40%, in tal modo forse si riuscirà a competere con i cinesi.
Vw tra pochi giorni svelerà i piani del gruppo per il mercato cinese.
Intanto Blume vuole ampliare la presenza dei tedeschi in Nord e Sud America, anche qui la sfida sarà estremamente difficile.
In Sud America Vw ha migliorato la propria posizione, è di nuovo in attivo, ha riconquistato quote di mercato e la nuova Polo Track (la nostra Polo del 2017 due volte impoverita tecnicamente per renderla concorrenziale) è diventata la vettura più venduta in Brasile (escludendo i Pick Up, altrimenti sarebbe la Fiat Strada). Eppure il confronto con Stellantis è umiliante, il gruppo italo-franco-americano realizza margini del 14%, Vw del 4%.
In Nord America si sta puntando tutto su Scout, sfida al limite dell’impossibile mentre le gamme di Vw ed Audi sono super invecchiate. Atlas, Tiguan e Q5 hanno più di 6 anni sul groppone e devono ricevere sconti pesanti per sopravvivere. La ID4 è un flop mostruoso, soprattutto per le recensioni catastrofiche che ha ricevuto.

Volkswagen AG will start sales of a new electric-vehicle brand in China kitted out with gadgets like an in-car avatar to help win back young buyers it has lost to the likes of BYD Co.

The ID.UX sub-brand will include features that Chinese customers have come to expect, according to the VW brand’s China head Stefan Mecha, such as advanced speech recognition and high connectivity to China-specific social platforms. After leading in China for decades, VW has been caught wrong-footed on EVs where local brands dominate with 84% market share according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

The sub-brand’s first model ID.UNYX will go on sale this year in China only, Mecha told reporters ahead of the Auto China show in Beijing. The vehicle will be VW’s first salvo in the race to catch up with vehicles like BYD’s Seagull and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co.’s Zeekr brand offering a range of tech features. VW’s current ID range of cars have been prone to software glitches, turning off tech-savvy consumers.


VW's ID.CODE concept car.
The ID.UX ID.CODE concept electric vehicle.Source: Volkswagen AG
Other models on show by the VW Group in Beijing include a long wheelbase version of the electric Audi Q6 e-tron and a version of the Porsche Taycan tailored to China.


Read More: VW, BMW Out to Prove They’re Not a Spent Force at China Car Show

“In China, younger people are the ones buying electric cars,” said Bernstein analyst Stephen Reitman. “They are going to be much less inculcated in the brand — the parents are more likely to remember what Volkswagen stands for.”

VW plans to offer at least five all-electric models in its ID.UX line-up by 2027, which will be made with VW’s joint-venture partner Anhui Jianghuai Automobile and priced slightly higher than the brand’s current EV lineup.

Local Brands Dominate China's EV Market
New energy vehicle market share by brand origin in 2023

Sources: China Automotive Technology and Research Center, Bloomberg
Separately, VW is also collaborating with automaker Xpeng Inc. on new underpinnings for compact EVs. The new platform targets production cost that are 40% lower than the current MEB platform, which the ID.UNYX is based on.

The first models of the Xpeng collaboration will go on sale in 2026 with VW showcasing design cues and in-car tech with the ID.CODE concept car in Beijing.

Vw si è sforzata molto per spiegare la nuova strategia in Cina, la comunità finanziaria non è molto convinta. Brandstätter punta a recuperare quote di mercato dal 2026 in poi grazie ai nuovi modelli lanciati su pianali cinesi.
Il software verrà sviluppato in grandissima parte con partner cinesi.
Verrà lanciato un sub brand del marchio Vw chiamato ID.UX, il primo modello è la Tavascan rimarchiata.
Verranno lanciati nel 2026 una berlina ed una suv su pianale XPENG, nello stesso anno verranno lanciati 2 modelli Audi-SAIAC (forse senza i quattro anelli).
Dal 2027 arriveranno i modelli su pianale CMP cioè la MEB regionalizzata e con prezzi tagliati. Verso il 2028 dovrebbe arrivare l’erede elettrica della Santana ma con prezzi non superiori a 20.000 dollari come partenza.

https://www.automobilwoche.de/autoherst ... r-festhalt

Il ceo di Skoda si è mostrato disposto ad offrire auto con motore a combustione più a lungo del previsto.
Skoda ha avuto un percorso a zig zag, ai tempi di Diess la casa ceca disse che avrebbe presidiato i segmenti ICE abbandonati dal marchio Vw (non è un caso che l’evoluzione del pianale MQB sia stata affidata a Skoda), poi nel 2021 si decise di spingere sull’acceleratore verso le BEV. Adesso c’ è un certo ripensamento. Skoda non offrirà nuove vetture ICE in Europa a partire dal 2035 però continuerà a farlo in India. Zellmer punta molto sugli e Fuels. Confermati gli arrivi di Elroq (C-suv elettrico) nel 2024 e di Eipq (B-suv elettrico) a fine 2025.

Partenza per niente brillante per il gruppo Vw nel 2024. Il management aveva avvisato di un inizio difficile, paradossalmente i marchi premium hanno visto un calo importante della redditività (Audi ha visto un calo dei profitti del 61%) mentre i marchi generalisti sono riusciti a migliorare le posizioni. Nonostante un importante calo degli ordinativi la divisione commerciale Traton (Man, Scania, Navistar e Vw Caminoes) ha visto un record di redditività.
I mega ritardi nell’ introduzione dei nuovi modelli a causa dei problemi del software si stanno sentendo dal punto di vista economico. Porsche ed Audi ammettono che i “ramp up costs” (sarebbero gli investimenti finali al momento dell’inizio della produzione) lasceranno effetti significativi nei bilanci.
Anche le vendite delle BEV vanno male, sono addirittura calate nel primo trimestre del 2024. Vw punta lo stesso ad una quota BEV tra il 9 e 11% nel 2024, nel primo trimestre sono solo al 7%. Macan e Q6 dovrebbero aiutare. La Id7, sviluppata principalmente per il mercato cinese sta floppando alla grande.
Il cfo sostiene che gli ordini per le BEV siano raddoppiati nel corso del trimestre, ne dubito seriamente.
Anche Stellantis e Mercedes hanno annunciato risultati deludenti. La casa guidata da Tavares ha visto un forte calo delle vendite e dei ricavi (n.b. Stellantis come Psa pubblica i profitti solo semestralmente), soprattutto in Europa, qui i nuovi modelli dovrebbero aiutare.

Com’è che la cosa non mi meraviglia?