Recently, Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen Group, said at the Automotive Future Summit held in the Uk that although customer needs exist, it is too early for the automotive industry to devote itself to electric vehicles.
Dies explained that the problem has nothing to do with customer demand, which is getting higher and higher, but it has to do with the infrastructure that supports the manufacturing and operation of electric vehicles. Both of these processes lag behind the current development rate of new energy vehicles. "Everything is going to grow, but it will take a huge investment and time," Dies said. "We need to retrofit or build the right factories, increase battery production capacity, and build safe, sustainable supply chains. Customers need the right infrastructure to fit the car. ”
While it may be too early to devote itself to electric vehicles, Dies seems to believe that Volkswagen, which he currently leads, has the potential to become the hegemon of global electric vehicle sales. At the summit, he expressed his vision that Volkswagen will become a "global leader in electric vehicle sales" by 2025 through years of huge investments. Diess even said he saw "fierce competition" with Tesla, admitting that he didn't expect Tesla to progress so quickly and that their manufacturing capabilities were changing dramatically.
Diess also confirmed that Volkswagen sees great potential in the field of small electric vehicles, with small electric vehicles under the Volkswagen, Cupra and Skoda brands scheduled to launch in 2025. The three models will be based on the MEB Small platform, which is currently under development, and Diess believes "both demand and profitability are present for small electric vehicles." ”