Volkswagen is planning to launch a massive eco-friendly product offensive with 30 all-electric cars in order to rebrand itself as a leader in the zero-emissions car market.
Matthias Mueller, Volkswagen’s chief executive, said that the manufacturer would have to make huge investments in the next decade to secure its future in the wake of the ‘dieselgate’ scandal.
Mueller said that he hopes that by 2025, fully electric cars will account for between 20 and 25 per cent of Europe’s biggest carmakers’ annual sales and will “transform” the company.
30 new electric cars by 2025
Volkswagen went into crisis last year when it was revealed that several of its diesel engines had been fitted with “defeat devices” that could alter the results of emissions tests.
Some 11 million cars worldwide were affected, and Mueller said that the marque’s transformation will involve harsh cost cutting with all of Volkswagen’s brands and businesses having to contribute.
He said: “This will require us - following the serious setback as a result of the diesel issue - to learn from mistakes made, rectify shortcomings and establish a corporate culture that is open, value-driven and rooted in integrity.”
Electric version of the Phaeton
Last autumn, Volkswagen announced that its master plan to increase the number of electric vehicles it sells will begin with the manufacture of a new electric version of its Phaeton saloon.
Additionally, it will also develop an all-new platform for small electric cars and will develop more plug-in hybrids on its existing MQB platform, which underpins models like the Golf and Audi A3.
Having set aside a budget of around £5 billion to deal with the aftermath of Dieselgate, the carmaker stressed that efficiency and technology would be its priority as it “repositions itself for the future”.
