Volkswagen is strongly betting on the electric car. The German auto giant has announced that in the new 2019-2023 plan it will invest 9 billion in this type of mobility, while another two billion will be allocated to digitalisation, autonomous driving and services.
VW is currently planning two fully electric vehicles, which will increase to around 20 by 2025, with an expected production of more than one million units.
THE FACTORIES
In Germany, the conversion of the Zwickau plant to electric mobility is already underway. From 2022, the same metamorphosis will also affect the factories in Emden and Hanover. In this way, the three sites will become the largest electric car production network in Europe.
Outside the continent, two plants for the construction of electric cars are also under construction in China, in Anting and Foshan, where production is scheduled to start in 2020.
Finally, Volkswagen plans to soon establish a production site for electric mobility in North America as well.
SAVE TO FINANCE ELECTRIC MOBILITY
To finance these programs, the group intends to cut costs: savings of more than 2,2 billion euros are already expected by the end of 2018.
“The extension of the use of the platforms will bring other huge savings – reads the press release – Today around 60% of conventional models are based on the Mqb modular platform but, by 2020, this percentage will reach around 80%. In total, Volkswagen has already built more than 50 million vehicles on the MQB basis and expects a similar volume in the coming years."
PRODUCTIVITY AND SIMPLIFICATION OFFERED
Up to 2025, moreover, an average increase in plant productivity of 30% is expected. At the same time, there will also be a significant reduction in the complexity of the offering. In Europe, Volkswagen will cancel 25% of the engine-transmission variants next model year, those least in demand by customers, with a corresponding reduction in production and supply chain complexity. "We are confident and convinced - said CFO Arno Antlitz - that we will be able to achieve our operating result target of at least 6% in 2022, a full 3 years earlier than our previous forecasts".
