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Tag: Volkswagen

  • Volkswagen, Kuehne + Nagel expand logistics partnership in China

    Volkswagen, Kuehne + Nagel expand logistics partnership in China

    Volkswagen FAW Engine (Dalian) Co., Ltd (VWED), an automotive part manufacturer operating in a joint-venture with Volkswagen (China), has signed a two-year agreement with Kuehne + Nagel to manage the inbound logistics operations in the Dalian and Changchun plants from 149 automotive engine part suppliers nationwide.

    The new contract leverages a sophisticated IT solution to address VWED’s requirements for improved efficiency of operations. The solution includes the use of dynamic planning to ensure cost optimisation while managing multi-leg journeys, line hauls and reverse movement. To provide more accurate real-time tracking of truck movements, Kuehne + Nagel leveraged China’s WeChat technology: Drivers use a mobile phone to scan a custom QR code to indicate a change in shipment status, automatically triggering an update in the order management system. Utilising the WeChat platform avoids the need to install additional apps or set-up additional hardware, allowing sub-contracted truckers to also utilise the same system. This, combined with an overarching operational control tower approach, ensures full transparency of the entire operation.

    Zhiyu Wang, logistic manager, VWED said: “Kuehne + Nagel took a complex set of demands and transformed it into a seemingly simple logistics solution. Kuehne + Nagel’s solution has delivered cost savings, efficiency and achieved full supply chain visibility for VWED.”

    Pierre Li, senior vice-president contract logistics, Kuehne + Nagel North Asia said: “VWED is one of the largest international players in the automotive market in China and we are pleased to extend this partnership. This new contract showcases Kuehne + Nagel’s strength in the automotive parts industry in China bringing together the synergies of a tailored logistics solution supported by IT systems to provide full supply chain visibility.”

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  • Volkswagen group deliveries rise 4.2 percent in June

    Volkswagen group deliveries rise 4.2 percent in June

    Volkswagen Says group deliveries rise 4.2 percent to 920,700 in June. Volkswagen says June group deliveries rise 3.1 percent in Europe, 9.8 percent in the U.S., 5.2 percent in China.

    Volkswagen says January-June group deliveries rise 0.8 percent to 5.16 million.

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  • Volkswagen recalls 766,000 VW cars worldwide for brake system update

    Volkswagen recalls 766,000 VW cars worldwide for brake system update

    Volkswagen is recalling 766,000 vehicles of its core passenger car brand worldwide for a software update to their braking control systems, a spokesman said.

    The braking control system may not function properly in certain driving conditions, such as when the driver over-steers, under-steers or slams on the brakes, the spokesman said.

    The car maker is recalling 288,000 VW-brand cars in Germany over the issue. Including the Audi and Skoda brands, the German recall impacts about 385,000 cars, the spokesman said.

    The recall in Germany was first reported by news agency DPA on Saturday.

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  • VW recalls 385,000 cars for a brake system update

    VW recalls 385,000 cars for a brake system update

    Volkswagen is recalling 385,000 cars in Germany for a software update to their anti-lock brake systems, news agency DPA reported, citing a spokesman for the automaker.

    Volkswagen’s VW, Audi and Skoda brands were affected, it said.

    According to DPA, the braking control system may not function properly in certain driving conditions, such as when the driver over-steers, under-steers or slams on the brakes.

    Volkswagen had no immediate comment.

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  • Volkswagen woos BMW, Mercedes buyers in new upmarket push

    Volkswagen woos BMW, Mercedes buyers in new upmarket push

    Volkswagen’s troubled mass-market brand is pushing upmarket again with a new flagship model a year after ceasing the flopped Phaeton luxury saloon in a bid to lift margins and revive its post-dieselgate image.

    Volkswagen (VW), traditionally known for its range of practical saloons, hatchbacks and sport-utility vehicles (SUVs), on Wednesday unveiled the new Arteon fastback to woo customers who like upscale cars like BMW’s 4-Series Gran Coupe or Mercedes-Benz’s CLS coupe but at lower prices.

    The four-door Arteon will go on sale in German showrooms next month starting at 34,800 euros ($39,111).

    The world’s largest automaker needs higher-margin models to help fund a strategic shift to electric and self-driving cars as it grapples with billions of euros in costs for its emissions scandal.

    The Arteon, featuring adaptive cruise control and enhanced emergency braking and steering functions, resembles VW luxury brand Audi’s A5 Sportback with its long wheelbase, extended hood and lowered roofline.

    “Cars like this have until now been the domain of premium carmakers,” VW brand chief executive Herbert Diess told reporters. “With the Arteon we are trying to gain a foothold in this business.”

    It’s not the first time the VW brand has pushed upmarket. In 2002, it launched the executive Phaeton saloon which was axed last March after never meeting VW’s original sales target of 20,000 cars per year.

    VW aims to sell up to 40,000 Arteons a year worldwide, Diess said, about the same as the predecessor CC saloon which ceased production last October.

    The Arteon is the latest example of a post-dieselgate product overhaul at the VW brand to revive profitability which has been lagging rivals such as PSA Peugeot Citroen and Toyota.

    VW will present redesigned versions of the Polo subcompact, one of its all-time bestsellers, in June and the flagship Touareg SUV in September, after it launched an overhauled Tiguan compact SUV last year.

    Research firm IHS Markit expects the German brand’s new top-of-the-line model to beat sales expectations easily.

    Deliveries of Arteons in core markets of Europe, China and North America may more than double to 81,172 cars by 2025 from 39,265 next year, IHS said.

    By comparison, IHS expects sales of BMW’s 4-Series Gran Coupe to plunge 16 percent to 40,562 models by 2025 while it sees sales of the Mercedes CLS jumping 10 percent to 23,856 cars.

    IHS says China will account for about half of global sales of the Arteon, which will be built in VW’s biggest market and at a factory in Emden, Germany.

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  • VW’s JV in China to recall nearly 600,000 vehicles over fuse fault

    VW’s JV in China to recall nearly 600,000 vehicles over fuse fault

    Volkswagen AG’s joint venture in China, FAW-Volkswagen Automobile, will recall 577,590 Golf and Sagitar cars because of a headlight fuse defect that may lead to safety risks, the quality watchdog said.

    The recall covers 416,364 Golfs produced between September 2009 and May 2014, and 161,226 Sagitars produced between July 2010 and March 2012, said the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

    The watchdog said the defects could cause headlight failure.

    FAW-Volkswagen, majority owned by state-owned China FAW Group, could not be immediately reached for comment. Volkswagen China declined to comment.

    In March, Volkswagen recalled over 1 million Audi vehicles due to potential leaks and coolant pumps faults.

    The German carmaker delivered nearly 4 million vehicles in China last year, two fifth of its global sales.

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  • VW brand recovery helps to power Volkswagen profit rise

    VW brand recovery helps to power Volkswagen profit rise

    Volkswagen reported a 28 percent jump in first-quarter operating profit, helped by a return to earnings growth at its core VW brand which has struggled to recover from the German carmaker’s diesel emissions scandal.

    Group operating profit came to 4.4 billion euros ($4.7 billion) in the three months to the end of March, compared with 3.4 billion in the year-earlier period, Volkswagen said on Tuesday as it published key financial figures ahead of schedule.

    Although the group has bounced back from the scandal and overtook Japan’s Toyota (7203.T) last year to become the world’s biggest selling carmaker, analysts view a turnaround at the VW brand as key to its prospects.

    Volkswagen said on Tuesday that first-quarter operating earnings at the VW brand came to around 900 million euros, up from 73 million in the year-earlier period.

    “Causal factors for the Volkswagen Brand result include the success of new model introductions, particularly the Tiguan, and a strong financial performance in the West European market,” Volkswagen said in a statement.

    “Optimized fixed costs also positively affected the result,” it added.

    DZ Bank analyst Michael Punzet, who has a “hold” recommendation on VW’s stock, said he had expected the brand’s operating profit to come to around 500 million euros.

    Volkswagen said its other brands, which include Audi and Skoda, also contributed to the good performance but did not provide details. E

    It said it still expected to report a full-year group return on sales of between 6 and 7 percent this year.

    “If Q2 continues to do well, we expect VW to increase its full-year guidance in summer,” said Evercore ISI analyst Arndt Ellinghorst, who had expected first-quarter group operating profit of around 3.8 billion euros.

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  • Volkswagen to build new SUV

    Volkswagen to build new SUV

    Volkswagen AG plans to build another new sport utility vehicle at its Chattanooga, Tennessee, plant as demand surges for larger vehicles, the German company’s top U.S. executive said on Wednesday.

    VW Group of America Chief Executive Officer Hinrich Woebcken told reporters at the New York auto show that the automaker planned to build a five-seat SUV in Tennessee, but he declined to say when production would begin. The news follows VW’s 2014 announcement that the company would spent $900 million to build a new SUV in Tennessee.

    VW, the largest automaker worldwide by sales, will start selling its new seven-seat VW Atlas SUV next month.

    Woebcken said VW was shifting focus in the United States from a mainly car brand to a “family friendly” automaker offering larger, U.S.-built SUVs.

    At the show, major automakers said they expected the popularity of SUVs to increase in the United States. SUVs’ share of U.S. vehicle sales rose to nearly 40 percent in 2016 from 32.6 percent in 2014.

    Woebcken would not say whether VW would add additional workers in Tennessee to build the new SUV.

    VW will sell four separate SUVs in the United States later this year, a figure that does not include the new one.

    The company said on Tuesday that it would continue selling the current Tiguan as the “Tiguan Limited” for several years even as it plans to offer a completely new, larger version later this year. The company also announced it was offering an industry-leading six-year, 72,000 mile warranty on its new SUVs.

    As part of its diesel emissions settlement, Volkswagen has agreed to add at least three additional electric vehicles, including an SUV, in California by 2020 and must sell an average of 5,000 electric vehicles annually there through 2025.

    Woebcken said he hopes that decision will help boost the company’s image in the United States. VW has agreed to spend up to $25 billion to buy back vehicles and resolve claims from U.S. regulators, dealers, owners and states.

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  • Volkswagen offers six-year warranty to win back customers

    Volkswagen offers six-year warranty to win back customers

    Volkswagen AG is trying to win back American customers after its diesel emission scandal with SUV warranties that it said will be the longest in the United States.

    Ahead of the New York auto show, the world’s largest automaker said Tuesday it will offer a six-year, 72,000 mile warranty on its new 2018 Atlas and 2018 Tiguan sport utility vehicles that go on sale later this year.

    “This warranty further addresses the needs of American buyers head-on,” said Volkswagen Group of American chief executive Hinrich Woebcken.

    VW said most other major rivals offer a 36,000 mile, three-year warranty on similar SUVs. The longest warranty is now offered by Hyundai Motor Co (005380.KS) and its Kia Motors Corp (000270.KS) affiliate. That warranty extends 60,000 miles or five years. The powertrain warranty is 100,000 miles, but it only lasts five years or 60,000 miles if transferred.

    The German automaker has been struggling to recover since it admitted in 2015 the company installed secret software that allowed vehicles to cheat emissions tests for six years.

    The new VW warranty is twice as long as the current three-year 36,000-mile warranty on the Tiguan. The Atlas is a new model.

    VW brand U.S. sales this year are up 10 percent this year, but fell 8 percent in 2016 to 323,000 vehicles after falling 5 percent in 2015. The automaker halted all U.S. diesel sales in late 2015.

    AutoNation (AN.N) Inc chief executive Mike Jackson said that an extended warranty could help win customers.

    “The American people are full of forgiveness. All you have to do is say you are sorry and give them a deal,” said Jackson, who heads the largest U.S. new car dealership chain. VW has “to give a price that reflects that you are asking for forgiveness.”

    In March Volkswagen pleaded guilty as part of a settlement over the automaker’s diesel emissions scandal.

    In total, VW has agreed to spend up to $25 billion in the United States to address claims from owners, environmental regulators, states and dealers and offered to buy back about 500,000 polluting U.S. vehicles.

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  • Volkswagen’s Seat returns to profit; to launch third SUV in 2018

    Volkswagen’s Seat returns to profit; to launch third SUV in 2018

    Volkswagen’s Spanish division Seat reported on Thursday its first annual operating profit since 2007 and announced plans to launch a third sport-utility vehicle (SUV) in as many years in 2018 to try to build on its recovery.

    Seat said it made an operating profit of 143 million euros ($154 million) last year compared with a 7 million euro loss in 2015, helped by selling more models with higher specifications and integrating its R&D operations with parent Volkswagen (VW).

    “Seat is now preparing itself for development and growth,” chief executive Luca de Meo said in an emailed statement.

    The 2018 SUV, which follows the launch of the Ateca crossover in 2016 and its smaller sibling Arona later this year, “will boost brand image and will have a very big effect on our ability to generate margins,” the CEO said.

    “This car will bring new customers to us.”

    Seat’s third SUV model will be built at VW’s main Wolfsburg factory and use the German group’s cost-saving MQB modular platform that underpins VW’s top-selling Tiguan SUV.

    VW, which bought Seat in 1986 to increase its exposure to the then fast-growing Spanish market, has long battled to reverse losses caused by under-utilised capacity at Seat’s factory in Martorell near Barcelona.

  • Volkswagen and Tata agree to explore cooperation in India

    Volkswagen and Tata agree to explore cooperation in India

    Volkswagen has signed an agreement with Tata Motors to explore cooperation in India, company sources close to the matter said, as the German carmaker tries once again to conquer emerging markets.

    After months of talks, the carmakers have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to deepen exchanges about technology, components and platforms, and analyze overlaps that could come from cooperation, one of three company sources said.

    VW, already the biggest carmaker by sales in China, is embracing electric cars and looking for new markets as it battles to recover from its diesel emissions scandal.

    A previous VW attempt to expand in emerging markets through an alliance with Suzuki Motor Corp. (7269.T) collapsed in 2015 after a fierce dispute.

    Winning emerging market share is an obvious goal for global automakers, but has yet to prove significantly profitable, except perhaps for budget-car champion Renault.

    “Covering entry-level segments will be crucial for major carmakers’ long-term growth plans,” said Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, head of the Center of Automotive Research at the University of Duisburg-Essen.

    “A successful budget car can be a feeder to the rest of the brand,” said Dudenhoeffer, a former sales director of PSA Group’s Germany operations.

    VW’s efforts to make inroads in low-cost markets include China, the world’s biggest auto market, where it has scrapped a pre-dieselgate program and redrawn the plans for a budget car, company sources said. VW has pared costs for its MQB mass-market platform, sources told Reuters at the Geneva auto show.

    The vehicles will likely be introduced in 2019-2020 and may cost in the area of 8,000 euros to 10,000 euros ($8,500 to $10,500), sources said. VW had repeatedly failed in previous years to hit cost targets for a budget car priced between 6,000-8,000 euros.

    An announcement on budget models for China could be made at the Shanghai auto show next month, they said.

    VW views the budget car project as essential to protect its market-leading position in China against aspiring local manufacturers.

    “They’re offering relatively high quality at very aggressive prices,” VW brand chief Herbert Diess told Reuters in Geneva. “This is a concern for us.”

    VW is also working on a budget car for Latin America and has revamped its MQB architecture in a way that allows for greater savings on the models, sources said in Geneva.

    “We will continue to work on the budget car and we will offer good solutions here in the foreseeable future,” Chief Executive Matthias Mueller told Reuters in Geneva, without elaborating.

    In India, the owner of British luxury carmaker Jaguar Land Rover is restructuring its car business to cut its platforms to two from six to boost production efficiencies and adjust more quickly to market trends.

    “We confirm that we are in talks with VW for a potential alliance but an announcement will be made at an appropriate time,” a spokesman for Tata said.

    With a very low vehicle penetration rate, India, the world’s second most populous country, is a big attraction for Western carmakers as they search for growth.

    A spokesman for VW said it was discussing ways to expand its product portfolio with tailor-made solutions in India with both its car brands and potential partners.

    Light vehicle sales in India are expected to more than double to 7.1 million cars by 2025 from 3.4 million last year, according to IHS Markit.

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  • Volkswagen to unveil self-driving car as part of post-dieselgate shift

    Volkswagen to unveil self-driving car as part of post-dieselgate shift

    Volkswagen will show off a fully self-driving car at the Geneva auto show, as part of the German carmaker’s drive to be at the forefront of new technologies in the wake of its diesel emissions scandal.

    Europe’s biggest carmaker has said it will invest billions of euros in electric cars, ride-hailing and automated driving, and launch over 30 electric models by 2025 as it battles to recover from its emissions test cheating.

    The self-driving concept car called Sedric – a so-called Level 5 vehicle capable of fully automated operation – is a precursor for more such models from the Volkswagen (VW) group in years to come, Chief Executive Matthias Mueller said on Monday on the eve of car executives’ annual gathering in Geneva.

    VW is hiring top specialists and plans to spend several billions of euros on automated driving alone, Mueller said, without being more specific.

    Sedric can carry 4 passengers and could be used for ride-sharing fleets as well as for individual consumers, VW said.

    Internet giant Google was a forerunner in self-driving technology with its 2015 prototype vehicle, but has since been challenged by companies ranging from Uber to Apple, as well as traditional carmakers.

    Manufacturers and their suppliers are working on different technology suites – including cameras, radar and laser imaging technology lidar – to enable vehicles to drive themselves, but it will take years for these vehicles to come to market.

    Mercedes-Benz unveiled its fully autonomous F 015 luxury concept two years ago. But Toyota has said it does not expect to see Level 5 cars in widespread use for another 10-15 years, while Ford does not plan to offer such vehicles for consumers until 2025 or later.

  • Volkswagen won’t make Audi cars with SAIC in China before 2018

    Volkswagen won’t make Audi cars with SAIC in China before 2018

    German carmaker Volkswagen said on Wednesday it would not produce or sell any Audi cars with SAIC Motor until at least 2018, seeking first to strengthen ties with existing Audi partner China FAW Motor Corp .

    VW announced in November a non-binding agreement with SAIC to discuss a partnership regarding Audi AG, which is the best selling premium brand in China.

    Tying up with SAIC, China’s largest automaker, could boost slowing sales for the premium Audi brand as Daimler’s Mercedes and newer entrants such as General Motor’s Cadillac eat into its market share.

    “No sales, no production, nothing this year (2017),” state-owned China Daily on Wednesday quoted VW China chief Jochem Heizmann as saying.

    A VW spokesman confirmed Heizmann’s remarks, saying talks with SAIC were ongoing but that nothing “operational” would happen before 2018.

    “An agreement (with SAIC) could be reached in 2017 and there will be preparation with all the points for sales and production and so on,” an Audi spokeswoman told Reuters.

    “As soon as there is an agreement, there will be measures to fulfil this agreement, but right now we are just in talks and we have no agreement.”

    She added that while larger talks were ongoing, discussions about sales with SAIC were on hold until an agreement is reached resolving concerns of existing FAW dealers.

    Volkswagen gets a larger proportion of the proceeds from the 50-50 tie-up with SAIC than from its 40 percent stake in the venture with FAW.

    Joint ventures with VW and Audi have given FAW a lifeline as it struggles to create successful brands of its own.

    Existing dealers of Audi cars in a letter to the German firm last year said creating a new sales network would further damage an already tenuous situation as existing dealers suffer from slowing sales and generally operate at a loss.

    The Volkswagen spokesman said the priorities were first to strengthen ties with FAW, including with a recently agreed 10-year joint plan, second to resolve concerns of existing Audi dealers, and last, to move forward with a cooperation with SAIC.

    Audi said on Tuesday that its joint venture with FAW would introduce five more plug-in electric cars in China in the next five years, following on FAW and VW agreeing to a 10-year roadmap for the venture.

  • China Slaps GM With $29 Million Fine

    China Slaps GM With $29 Million Fine

    China slapped a $29 million fine on General Motors for antitrust violations, a sign of the growing tensions between the U.S. and the Asian nation.

    The largest U.S. automaker is accused of setting minimum prices on some models in its SAIC General Motors joint venture. The Shanghai Municipal Development & Reform Commission, which imposed the 201 million yuan fine, alleged in a statement that GM punished dealers who sold cars for less than the prices set by the Detroit-based automaker. This is the first time China has fined GM, the second-largest foreign carmaker in China by sales.

    China-U.S. relations have become strained after President-elect Donald Trump proposed tariffs on Chinese goods, questioned the One-China policy regarding Taiwan and accused the Asian nation of stealing an American naval drone in international waters in the South China Sea. A Communist Party newspaper in November said a “tit for tat” retaliation could follow proposals by Trump for tariffs on the world’s largest trading nation, which had $627 billion in U.S. trade in 2015.

    “GM fully respects local laws and regulations wherever we operate,” Irene Shen, a company spokeswoman, said in a text message referring to the penalty. “We will provide full support to our joint venture in China to ensure that all responsive and appropriate actions are taken with respect to this matter.”

    Shares of SAIC Motor Corp. fell 1.2 percent to 23.17 yuan in Shanghai, before the penalty was announced. They have declined 3.3 percent since Dec. 14 when reported that GM’s joint venture in China was being investigated for possible antitrust violations. In trading in New York, GM shares fell 0.2 percent to $35.61 at 10:50 a.m.

    Last year, China fined Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz unit $56 million for monopolistic pricing practices. In 2014, the government penalized Volkswagen AG and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV for similar practices as well as a dozen parts makers. The auto component suppliers were fined $200 million collectively.

    Since 2011, the National Development and Reform Commission, China’s main economic planner, has pressured carmakers to cut prices as part of an investigation into the auto industry. The NDRC said the probe was meant to ensure market order and protect consumers.

    Chinese media have reported that penalties on American companies may be coming. The China Daily reported earlier this month that the government would soon penalize a U.S. automaker for price fixing, citing an interview with Zhang Handong, director of the NDRC’s price supervision bureau. The Global Times wrote in an editorial that orders for Boeing Co. planes could be replaced with models from Airbus Group SE, and that Apple Inc.‘s iPhone sales may suffer a setback.

    GM’s retail sales in China rose 8.5 percent this year through November to 3.44 million vehicles, trailing only Volkswagen among foreign automakers. Its German rival boosted deliveries 12 percent to 3.59 million units.

     

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  • Volkswagen aims to sell 400,000 new energy vehicles a year in China by 2020

    Volkswagen aims to sell 400,000 new energy vehicles a year in China by 2020

    Volkswagen aims to boost new energy vehicle sales in China to 400,000 units a year by 2020, the automaker’s China chief Jochem Heizmann said, as Beijing pushes automakers to sell low-emissions cars via incentives and friendly regulations.

    It aims to eventually sell 1.5 million new energy vehicles (NEVs) annually by 2025, Heizmann told reporters ahead of the Guangzhou auto show, which opens on Friday.

    “We have to do more in the NEV area. The government is pushing, the general environment in China is pushing that,” Heizmann said.

    Overall sales of NEVs in China more than quadrupled last year with rapid growth continuing in 2016.

    Volkswagen will deliver its first locally produced NEVs, as battery electric and plug-in hybrid cars are referred to in China, under its Audi brand this year.

    Audi AG manufactures the vehicles in a joint venture with China FAW Group.

    Volkswagen also has a JV with SAIC Motor (600104.SS), and the two companies have plans to sell plug-in hybrid cars in China in the future.

    Global auto brands are only allowed to manufacture cars domestically in China through ventures with local partners, with automakers typically limited to two JV partners.

    Volkswagen said in September that it had signed a preliminary deal to explore making electric vehicles in a new joint venture with China’s Anhui Jianghuai Automobile.

    The deal is not final and is subject to approvals.

    “We are making good progress in our feasibility study with JAC,” Heizmann said.

    He said he was hopeful the government would allow what would be Volkswagen’s third JV in China, with the government pushing for less-polluting vehicles.

    “Normally the legal framework is you are only allowed to have two joint ventures. There is a special chance to have this additional joint venture just on pure battery cars,” Heizmann said.

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