Tesla is Apple and the traditional automakers are Nokia. With its cars, which are not only electric, but also highly networked and soon maybe even autonomous, Tesla is becoming the market leader for a superior further development of the car product to end. This view of the car world has glowing supporters and determined opponents – and Volkswagen boss Herbert Diess has now sided with the supporters.
The CEO of Volkswagen AG did this with brands such as VW, Skoda, Seat, Audi, Porsche or Bentley, according to a report by the Reuters news agency in a speech to managers of the group on Thursday. Diess repeatedly emphasized the importance of Tesla. Competition with the electric car pioneer and other US technology giants for supremacy in the automotive industry is increasing, he said – “the storm is only just beginning”.
In addition, the VW boss referred to Tesla’s much greater success on the stock exchange than Volkswagen. Tesla is valued as a technology company, Volkswagen as a car manufacturer, Diess said according to Reuters. Volkswagen should also become a digital technology group – only there lies the future. The question is whether this will happen quickly enough to avoid a fate like Nokia. “If we continue at our current pace, it will be very tight,” Diess warned. In general, the time of classic car manufacturers is “over”.
According to speech excerpts, Diess spoke on the one hand of the digitalization of cars, on the other hand of “pressure to innovate for emission-free driving”. Although Volkswagen has announced ambitious electric plans, the Audi e-tron and the Porsche Taycan have only two fully-fledged electric cars in its range. The first electric VW mass model will be the ID.3. The brand’s strategy director, Michael Jost, confirmed in December 2019 that VW sees cars with combustion engines expiring – the timing also depends on “how our customers accept electric cars”. And Diess now left no doubt that electrical at Volkswagen should mean battery-electric: “We drive fuel cells and liquid fuels at the basic level,” he explained. They are not an alternative for car engines for at least a decade.
Volkswagen and other traditional car manufacturers will have to sell significantly more electric cars in Europe this year if they want to avoid paying CO2 fines. However, the calculated emissions balance can also be significantly improved with hybrid cars for charging (plug-in hybrids).
–
