Volkswagen Announces Eco-strategy to Beat Toyota
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 02.10.07
Toyota is the most profitable car company in the world. In his first interview since taking over the top post at Volkswagen, CEO Martin Winterkorn has announced "Volkswagen will be better than Toyota." In an exclusive interview published in the German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Winterkorn outlines his strategy. How does Winterkorn aim to achieve this goal?
VW once led the pack with the introduction of the Lupo 3L TDI, which entered the Guinness Book of World Records after Austrian economy driving expert Gerhard Plattner made the trip from Oslo to the Hague with an average fuel efficiency of 2.78L/100km (101.6 mpg). In 2002, VW announced the development of a 1-L car. But the lesson learned was: superlight and eco-efficient technology costs too much to make a profit. Sales of the 3L Lupo never hit the 30,000 mark and the car was resigned to its place in the museums of automotive history; the development of the 1-L protoype was mothballed. Recent years have seen a reversal in the strategy as VW has focused on bigger and faster.
So will Winterkorn turn things around? In his words: "Volkswagen must be the pacemaker for the mobility of tomorrow." Winterkorn told the Sueddeutsche Zeitung that immediately upon taking over VW, he launched the development of a small
car that can seat four (with luggage) that should be fuel-efficient, and affordable. The car will be launched in Western Europe, but should also do well in the Chinese and Indian markets, where new car buyers are looking for cars priced under €5000. Winterkorn also confided that only a few days ago, he decided that Volkswagen will also pursue hydrid technology for their smaller engines. "There will definitely be a hybrid engine from Volkswagen for the compact classes like Polo and Golf, and that as quickly as possible and without delay," Winterkorn claimed.
Of course, Volkswagen will continue to pursue the development of fuel efficient engines in all sectors, following the tracks of the gas engines with TFSI and the diesels with Clean-Diesel TDI (Think Blue Motion), as well as following their plans to introduce a large hybrid motor, to debut in the Audi Q7. Winterkorn: "Our engineers will put their know-how in environmental technologies into full play." Herr Winterkorn: we are holding you to your word.
Via: ::Sueddeutsche Zeitung (German)
I wonder who will buy this new car if there weren't many buyers for the 3L Lupo. Hybrid VWs sound more expensive too, and I would imagine that because the car is already fuel efficient, the cost per unit of fuel saved is dramatically higher for hybrid Polos and Golfs. That said, I would buy one as soon as they become available if I drove a car. Finally, a diesel hybrid!
I'm a VW fan. Will VW have a MPG people mover mini van that appeals to the masses? Will VW corporate sustainable tracking and reporting on par with or better than Toyota? Will VW develop use electric motors that minimize health the health risks from EMF's? Will VW localize production so that VW's can be built anywhere? Will VW create cars the can be totally recycled? Will VW build cars that have low petroleum-based plastic content?
Any plans to let Americans get these cars?
I am glad to see such a major car company decide to dedicate itself to strenous competition with Toyota on environmental car technology. The more competition in green cars, the more the technology will improve, the quality will increase, the costs drop and the cars be bought. So I wish VW success in its stated aims.
First VW has to make cars that don't break.
How is it a good thing that VW plans on selling 7000$ new cars in india and china? We should be hoping for less cars not more. What I see here is simply a large company who wants to get bigger and not good environmental news.
emf radiation levels - Will VW have a Shut OFF switch for the Wirless? Chrysler's has it turned on all the time if you want it or not. Shut Off needs to be an industry standard
I really admire VW in making such endeavor that would not only be favorable to their cutomers but also to the environment... I can't wait to drive a car using electricity to power up a VW alternator rather than gasoline that is both harmful to the environment and human health... Moreover, with the current technological advances, I know it not gonna be far when car will be using water as fuel, that will surely change the automotive world... Goodluck VW...
I really admire VW in making such endeavor that would not only be favorable to their cutomers but also to the environment... I can't wait to drive a car using electricity to power up a VW alternator rather than gasoline that is both harmful to the environment and human health... Moreover, with the current technological advances, I know it not gonna be far when car will be using water as fuel, that will surely change the automotive world... Goodluck VW...