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A Volkswagen logo is seen during the press day at the Los Angeles Auto Show in Los Angeles, California, U.S. November 17, 2022. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBERLIN, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) plans to build its Trinity electric vehicles (EV) at its factory in Zwickau, the company said in a statement on Friday. The carmaker added that its iconic Golf model would be "led into the electric future" at its main Wolfsburg plant. The Trinity electric car, which is to be based on the new SSP platform, was supposed to be launched in 2026. Volkswagen had initially planned to build a new factory for the model, but due to delays in developing the brand, the German carmaker was also considering converting its Wolfsburg factory.
Persons: Mike Blake, carmaker, Oliver Blume, Jan Schwartz, Friederike Heine, Miranda Murray Organizations: Los Angeles Auto, REUTERS, Rights, Trinity, Wolfsburg Warmenau, Volkswagen, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, Zwickau, Wolfsburg
EU set to demand e-fuel cars have no climate impact
  + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +2 min
All new cars sold in the EU from 2035 must have zero CO2 emissions, under the EU's main climate policy for cars, which countries agreed earlier this year. A draft EU legal proposal, seen by Reuters, showed Brussels plans to set strict conditions for e-fuel cars - requiring them to run on fully CO2 neutral fuels. E-fuels are considered carbon neutral when they are made using captured CO2 emissions that balance out the CO2 released when the fuel is combusted in an engine. The draft rules would be stricter than the low-carbon fuel rules in some other EU climate policies. For example, countries can use certain fuels to meet EU renewable energy targets if they achieve a 70% emissions saving, rather than 100%.
Persons: Jan Schwartz, Ralf Diemer, Kate Abnett, Riham Alkousaa, Philip Blenkinsop Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, European, European Commission, Reuters, eFuel Alliance, Manufacturers, Thomson Locations: Allersberg, Germany, Hamburg, Munich, Rights BRUSSELS, Brussels, Berlin
Containers are seen at a terminal in the port of Hamburg, Germany November 14, 2019. Under a deal between MSC and the city of Hamburg, MSC will make a cash offer of 16.75 euros ($17.99) per share to acquire all listed class A stock in HHLA. The city of Hamburg, which owns 69% of HHLA's A shares and all of its unlisted S-shares, would retain control of Hamburg port with a 50.1% stake via the S-shares. A source familiar with the deal gave an enterprise value of 2.6 billion euros, including 1.4 billion euros in debt. HHLA said its management board would review the MSC offer.
Persons: Fabian Bimmer, Klaus, Michael Kuehne, Lloyd, Kuehne, Marc Zeck, Stifel, Nikolas Mauder, Kepler Cheuvreux, HHLA, Andrey Sychev, Sabine Wollrab, Rachel More, Emelia Sithole, David Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Kuehne, Reuters, MSC, Thomson Locations: Hamburg, Germany, BERLIN, Hapag, HHLA, Germany's, Gdansk, Frankfurt
Containers are seen at a terminal in the port of Hamburg, Germany November 14, 2019. Under the deal between Switzerland-based MSC and the city of Hamburg, MSC will make a cash offer of 16.75 euros ($17.99) per share to acquire all listed class A stock in HHLA. The city of Hamburg, which currently owns 69% of HHLA's A shares and all of its unlisted S-shares, would retain control of Hamburg port with a 50.1% stake via the S-shares. A source familiar with the deal gave an enterprise value of 2.6 billion euros, including 1.4 billion euros in debt. HHLA said its management board would review MSC offer.
Persons: Fabian Bimmer, Klaus, Michael Kuehne, Hapag, Lloyd, Marc Zeck, Nikolas Mauder, Kepler Cheuvreux, Robert Habeck, HHLA, Andrey Sychev, Sabine Wollrab, Rachel More, Jason Neely, Mark Potter, Emelia Organizations: REUTERS, MSC, Reuters, Belgian, Thomson Locations: Hamburg, Germany, BERLIN, Switzerland, HHLA, Germany's, Swiss, China, Berlin, Gdansk, Frankfurt
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks during an event at the 2023 Munich Auto Show IAA Mobility, in Munich, Germany, September 5, 2023. The expansion will make range anxiety a thing of the past for EV drivers, he added. Europe's biggest economy has only 90,000 public charging points but is targeting 1 million by 2030 to boost EV take-up. Addressing the protests, Scholz said at the end of his tour: "Protests are part of public and democratic debate ... but it is a little anachronistic. On competition from China in EV production, Scholz said: "Competition should spur us on, not scare us.
Persons: Olaf Scholz, Leonhard Simon, Scholz, Victoria Waldersee, Andreas Rinke, Jan Schwartz, Friederike Heine, Sarah Marsh, Miranda Murray, David Goodman Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, IAA, EV, Sporting, BMW, Mercedes, Benz, HK, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Munich, Germany, Rights MUNICH, Europe, China, Japanese, Korea
Ford pushes back Explorer series production in Europe
  + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Jan Schwartz | ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +1 min
People stand near a logo of Ford at the Auto Shanghai show, in Shanghai, China April 18, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMUNICH, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Ford (F.N) will push back series production of its long-awaited SUV Explorer model at its Cologne site by around six months to wait for a new generation of Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) battery technology to be available, its Germany chief said on Monday. The U.S. carmaker sells two all-electric SUVs and an e-Transit van in Europe, but seven new models are in the pipeline by 2024, including two produced in Cologne and one in Romania. Production of the second new model in Cologne, also built on Volkswagen's MEB platform, will start a few weeks after the first, Sander said. Reporting by Jan Schwartz, Writing by Victoria Waldersee Editing by Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: Aly, carmaker, Sander, Ford, Jan Schwartz, Victoria Waldersee, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Ford, Auto, REUTERS, Rights, Volkswagen, IAA, Thomson Locations: Auto Shanghai, Shanghai, China, Cologne, Germany, Europe, Aachen, U.S, Romania
"The major shareholders are certainly not the reason for the poor valuation of the share," Wolfgang Porsche, who leads the supervisory boards of both Porsche SE (PSHG_p.DE) and Porsche AG, told Reuters on the sidelines of the IAA car show in Munich. The Porsche and Piech families essentially control Volkswagen via their holding firm Porsche SE, which holds most of the voting rights in the Wolfsburg-based carmaker. "We have to get an even better grip on performance and costs," Porsche, 80, said, adding Volkswagen had to become more competitive. With a view to its competitors, the group could not assume that it would be able to avoid cutting costs, Porsche, who also sits on Volkswagen's supervisory board, said. Regarding the families' closely-watched succession planning, Porsche said that his nephew, Ferdinand Oliver Porsche, who also sits on the supervisory boards of Volkswagen, Porsche SE and Porsche AG, was a natural future successor were he to step down.
Persons: Wolfgang Porsche, Ferdinand Porsche, Oliver Blume, Oliver Blume hasn't, Ferdinand Oliver Porsche, Porsche, Jan Schwartz, Christoph Steitz, Mike Harrison Organizations: Porsche, Porsche AG, Reuters, IAA, Volkswagen, Thomson Locations: MUNICH, Munich, Wolfsburg
[1/6] A view shows model TO3 of Leapmotor, a Chinese automobile manufacturer, displayed during an event a day ahead of the official opening of the 2023 Munich Auto Show IAA Mobility, in Munich, Germany, September 4, 2023. Chinese EV makers, including BYD (002594.SZ), Nio (9866.HK) and Xpeng (9868.HK) are all targeting Europe's EV market, where sales soared nearly 55% to about 820,000 vehicles in the first seven months of 2023, making up about 13% of all car sales. The arrival of Chinese EV makers in Europe has raised concerns they could dominate EV sales. Xpeng President Brian Gu said while European carmakers currently lag behind China, they have made a "huge commitment" to EVs with partnerships and large investments in technology. "I would never discount the large (carmakers) trying really hard to come back and focus on this important transition," Gu said.
Persons: Leonhard Simon, Luca de Meo, De Meo, Hildegard Mueller, Oliver Zipse, Oliver Blume, Brian Gu, Gu, Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, Dudenhoeffer, Nick Carey, Victoria Waldersee, Gilles Gillaume Christina Amann, Zoey Zhang, Jan Schwartz, Friederike Heine, Clarence Fernandez, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, China EV, Renault, Reuters, HK, Europe's EV, Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology, EV, German Association of, Automotive Industry, Jato Dynamics, BMW, Benz, Klasse, Volkswagen, Auto, Thomson Locations: Munich, Germany, China, MUNICH, BYD, Zhejiang, Europe, Asia
Volkswagen is ready for Europe's 2035 fossil-fuel car ban - CEO
  + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +1 min
A Volkswagen logo is seen during the New York International Auto Show, in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., April 5, 2023. REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Volkswagen AG FollowMUNICH, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) is ready for Europe's planned 2035 ban on new sales of fossil-fuel cars as it ramps up its electric vehicle lineup, Chief Executive Oliver Blume said at Munich's IAA mobility show. "We are prepared for the 2035 combustion ban in Europe," Blume told reporters at the car show. 2 carmaker will be able to lower its battery costs via a 50% reduction in cost at the cell level. Reporting by Jan Schwartz; Writing by Nick Carey; Editing by Louise Heavens and Mike HarrisonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: David, Dee, Delgado, Oliver Blume, Blume, Jan Schwartz, Nick Carey, Louise Heavens, Mike Harrison Organizations: New York, REUTERS, EV, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Europe, China
Aurubis shares plunge on suspected metal theft
  + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Jan Schwartz | ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +2 min
Shares in the group were down 14% at 1030 GMT, at their lowest level in nearly 10 months, after the company said it would miss its full-year profit guidance having found what it described as "considerable discrepancies" in inventories. Aurubis had said in June that several employee workspaces and the on-site offices of contractors at its Hamburg site were searched as part of an investigation into a suspected organised theft ring. "During a scheduled review of metal inventories, Aurubis has identified considerable discrepancies in target inventory as well as in individual samples from specific shipments of input materials for the recycling area," it said late on Thursday. "This evidence has led Aurubis to conclude that it has been the target of further criminal activity following the cases reported in June 2023. Germany's second-largest steelmaker Salzgitter (SZGG.DE), which holds a 29.99% stake in Aurubis, also suspended its financial guidance, sending its shares 1.6% lower.
Persons: Aurubis, workspaces, Kanjyik Ghosh, Christoph Steitz, Leslie Adler, Mark Potter Organizations: Criminal Investigation, Thomson Locations: HAMBURG, Hamburg, Aurubis, Bengaluru, Frankfurt
[1/2] Volkswagen's factory is seen in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Sao Paulo state, Brazil June 28, 2023. Demand for chips has risen dramatically in the car industry in line with electric vehicle production and the need for increasingly complex software. Volkswagen and Franco-Italian chipmaker STMicroelectronics (STMPA.PA) announced plans last July to co-develop a new semiconductor, marking VW's first direct relationship with a second- and third-rank semiconductor supplier. Volkswagen has not struck a direct supply relationship with TSMC - the world's biggest contract manufacturer of semiconductors - but meets with them every few weeks to communicate its demand situation, Schnake said. The carmaker also plans to reduce the variety of chips required in its vehicles to simplify the supply chain, which will also help simplify its software offering, Schnake added.
Persons: Campo, Leonardo Benassatto, chipmakers, Karsten Schnake, Dirk Grosse, Taiwan's TSMC, Schnake, Victoria Waldersee, Jan Schwartz, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, NXP Semiconductors, Infineon Technologies, Renesas Electronics, Volkswagen, Intel, Thomson Locations: Sao Bernardo, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, Berlin, Germany
More than a year of enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) has already stymied development of solar energy projects as detained panel shipments languish in U.S. warehouses. When shipments are detained, CBP provides the importer with a list of examples of products from previous reviews and the kind of documentation required to prove they are not made with forced labor, CBP told Reuters. "The timing of these changes does not reflect any specific changes in strategy or operations," a CBP spokesperson said in a statement, adding that the list of eight product types was "not exhaustive." In a report to Congress last month on UFLPA enforcement, CBP listed lithium-ion batteries, tires, "and other automobile components" among the "potential risk areas" it was monitoring. The stepped-up focus on automakers follows a study by Britain's Sheffield Hallam University published in December that said nearly every major automaker has exposure to products made with forced labor in Xinjiang.
Persons: Janet Yellen, Mark Schiefelbein, Dan Solomon, Chevalier, Solomon, Britain's, Ron Wyden, Wyden, we've, Tesla, Brandon Daniels, Nichola Groom, David Shepardson, Jan Schwartz, Daniel Leussink, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Reuters, U.S . Customs, Border Protection, Beijing, Uyghur, Labor, U.S . Solar Energy Industries Association, Biden, CBP, Miller, Britain's Sheffield Hallam University, U.S, Senate, Benz, Volkswagen, Friedrichshafen AG, Bosch, General Motors, Honda, Toyota, Continental AG, Thomson Locations: United States, Diaoyutai, Beijing, China, Xinjiang, U.S, Detroit, UFLPA, Los Angeles, Washington, Hamburg, Tokyo
VW, which relies on gallium and germanium for automotive products, said it was "ready to take measures together with its partners if necessary" but did not elaborate. The metals will play a role in future autonomous driving functions, a spokesperson for the German automaker said. Germanium is used in high-speed computer chips, plastics, and in military applications such as night-vision devices, as well as satellite imagery sensors. But if prices rise as restrictions take hold companies would have another reason to shift supply chains. NXP makes some chips for the auto and communications sectors using gallium or germanium.
Persons: Yellen, Janet Yellen, Alastair Neill, Imelda Medina, Liao Chien, Taiwan's TSMC, chipmaker, NXP, Josephine Mason, Matt Scuffham, Catherine Evans Organizations: VW, WIN, Treasury, Beijing Pentagon, Volkswagen, U.S, Critical Minerals, U.S . Defense Department, REUTERS, Capital Securities Corp, WIN Semiconductors, Reuters, Apple, Nvidia, Thomson Locations: Beijing, TAIPEI, China, Puebla, Mexico, Germany, Japan, Taiwan
VW, which relies on gallium and germanium for automotive products, said it was "ready to take measures together with its partners if necessary" but did not elaborate. The metals will also play a role in future autonomous driving functions, a spokesperson for the German carmaker said. The export curbs are likely to further strain U.S.-China relations as the countries vie for dominance in semiconductor and defence technologies. But if prices rise as restrictions take hold companies would have another reason to shift supply chains. Chipmaker NXP Semiconductors (NXPI.O) sees no material impact on its business.
Persons: Imelda Medina, Yellen, Janet Yellen, carmaker, Liao Chien, Taiwan's TSMC, chipmaker, NXP, Josephine Mason, Catherine Evans Organizations: Volkswagen, REUTERS, VW, WIN, Treasury, Capital Securities Corp, WIN Semiconductors, Reuters, Apple, Nvidia, Thomson Locations: Puebla, Mexico, Beijing TAIWAN, China, Beijing, U.S, Germany, Japan, Taiwan
Volkswagen ready to act amid China metal export curbs
  + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: 1 min
Companies Volkswagen AG FollowJuly 6 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) on Thursday said it was monitoring the situation on the raw materials markets after China announced it would control exports of some metals, adding that it was "ready to take measures together with its partners if necessary". China's commerce ministry said earlier this month it would require export permits for eight gallium products and six germanium products from August 1 to protect national security. A Volkswagen spokesperson told Reuters that gallium and germanium were important resources for automotive products and played a role in future autonomous driving functions. Reporting by Jan Schwartz, Writing by Anna Mackenzie, Editing by Friederike HeineOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: Jan Schwartz, Anna Mackenzie, Friederike Heine Our Organizations: Volkswagen, China, Thomson
Ford finds international investor for German plant in Saarlouis
  + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +1 min
HAMBURG, June 30 (Reuters) - Ford (F.N) has found what it described as a major international investor for the U.S. carmaker's German plant in Saarlouis and has signed initial agreements together with the western state of Saarland, it said at a works meeting at the plant on Friday. "This is an excellent basis for further negotiations, with the potential to create around 2,500 jobs in Saarlouis," said Martin Sander, head of the company's German unit Ford Werke. "This week we have taken a big step towards this goal," he said, adding that the aim was still to transform the plant and create future employment opportunities. A Ford spokesperson did not name the investor but said only that it is a major international investor. Reporting by Jan Schwartz, Writing by Miranda Murray; editing by Matthias WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: Martin Sander, China's, Jan Schwartz, Miranda Murray, Matthias Williams Organizations: U.S, Ford Werke, Ford, Street, Thomson Locations: HAMBURG, Saarlouis, Saarland
Audi names Volkswagen strategy chief Doellner as new CEO
  + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +2 min
FRANKFURT, June 29 (Reuters) - Volkswagen's (VOWG_p.DE) Audi named the German group's strategy chief as its new CEO on Thursday, as the luxury carmaker seeks to catch up with rivals in the dash towards electrification, including in China, the world's top car market. Gernot Doellner, who replaces Markus Duesmann, will become CEO with effect from September, Audi said, after the luxury automaker's supervisory board passed a resolution on Thursday. Doellner is a Volkswagen Group veteran who joined the company as a doctoral student in 1993 and rose through the ranks to become head of product development at Porsche. He headed up the Panamera series from 2011 to 2018 and became head of product strategy at Volkswagen AG in 2021. "Audi is a fantastic company with a rich history," Doellner said, adding: "I look forward to shaping the company's future together with the entire team at Audi."
Persons: Gernot Doellner, Markus Duesmann, Doellner, Oliver Blume's, Bentley, Peter Bosch, Christina Amann, Jan Schwartz, Ilona Wissenbach, Christoph Steitz, Victoria Waldersee, Tom Sims, Emma Rumney, Hans Seidenstuecker Organizations: Audi, Volkswagen Group, Porsche, Volkswagen AG, Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes, Benz, Thomson Locations: FRANKFURT, China
June 16 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) will face investors hungry for answers at its capital markets day next Wednesday on how it will achieve high cost-cutting targets and whether it will heed their calls for an independent audit of its co-owned Xinjiang plant. "The 21 June CMD is an opportunity to reset a fraught relationship with investors, a challenging exercise," Jefferies wrote in a note on Friday. Investors also demanded that Volkswagen conduct an independent audit of the Urumqi plant, which executives have is only possible with the agreement of joint venture partner SAIC (600104.SS). Alongside targets, investors needed details on how the carmaker expects to make its EV production more cost-effective, Daniel Roeska of Bernstein Research wrote in a note on Thursday. "The risk is that instead we see more punchy earnings and volume targets, with little to support them," he added.
Persons: CMD, Jefferies, carmaker, Oliver Blume, Arno Antlitz, Blume, Daniel Roeska, Jan Schwartz, Victoria Waldersee, Conor Humphries Organizations: Porsche, Volkswagen, Investors, SAIC, Bernstein Research, Thomson Locations: Xinjiang, Urumqi, Germany
Companies Volkswagen AG FollowBERLIN, June 16 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) will hold a series of capital markets days to present the results of mock listing exercises at each of its brand groups and its software and battery units, according to two sources familiar with the matter. At its capital markets day next Wednesday, the company will present an overview of the group's targets in the next 3-4 years, the sources said on Friday, declining to be named. But the sources said the results will instead be staggered over a series of events focused on the brand groups, software unit and battery unit held over a longer period of time. Executives have repeatedly emphasised that the mock exercises will not necessarily lead to actual listings, though the carmaker is speaking to outside investors about its battery unit PowerCo and has said a listing is a possibility. Reporting by Victoria Waldersee and Jan Schwartz Editing by Miranda MurrayOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: Victoria Waldersee, Jan Schwartz, Miranda Murray Organizations: Volkswagen, BERLIN, Shareholders, Thomson
BERLIN, June 16 (Reuters) - Volkswagen's (VOWG_p.DE) battery unit PowerCo will be ready for investors at the beginning of next year, battery chief Thomas Schmall said at a roundtable in Berlin on Friday. Schmall's statement followed comments made last month by Chief Financial Officer Arno Antlitz that onlookers "shouldn’t be surprised if in 2024 there might be a first step taken with a strategic investor" in the unit. The battery chief declined to give further information on Friday, stating more would be disclosed at Volkswagen's capital markets day next Wednesday. Antlitz said in May that interest in the unit was high but the carmaker was evaluating how long to keep it on its books. Reporting by Victoria Waldersee, Jan Schwartz Editing by Miranda MurrayOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: Thomas Schmall, Arno Antlitz, shouldn’t, Antlitz, Victoria Waldersee, Jan Schwartz, Miranda Murray Organizations: Thomson Locations: BERLIN, Berlin
FRANKFURT/BERLIN, June 16 (Reuters) - A Chinese delegation led by Premier Li Qiang will meet Germany's top CEOs next week as part of a visit to Europe, hoping to strengthen ties at a time when Berlin is pursuing a strategy to lessen its economic dependence on Beijing. A meeting between Li and a group of German and Chinese CEOs is scheduled for June 19, according to people familiar with the plans. Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE), SAP (SAPG.DE) and Siemens Energy (ENR1n.DE) all confirmed that their CEOs would meet with the delegation. The CEO of Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) division Audi will also participate, a person familiar with the matter said. BASF (BASFn.DE), Bayer (BAYGn.DE), Infineon (IFXGn.DE), Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) and BMW (BMWG.DE), all companies with major business ties to China, declined to comment.
Persons: Premier Li Qiang, Li, Li Shufu, Mercedes, Roland Busch, Olaf Scholz, Robert Habeck, Andrew Small, Marshall, Siegfried Russwurm, Ilona Wissenbach, Hakan Ersen, Christoph Steitz, Ludwig Burger, Patricia Weiss, Christina Amann, Andreas Rinke, Rene Wagner, Sarah Marsh, Jan Schwartz, Alexander Huebner, Raju Gopalakrishnan, Louise Heavens Organizations: Premier, Mercedes, Benz, SAP, Siemens Energy, Volkswagen, Audi, Beijing Automotive Group Co, HK, Siemens, Pacific Committee, BASF, Bayer, Infineon, BMW, Thomson Locations: FRANKFURT, BERLIN, Europe, Berlin, Beijing, China, Asia, German, Germany, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich
BERLIN, June 14 (Reuters) - Volkswagen's (VOWG_p.DE) passenger car brand will implement savings and cost-cutting measures amounting to 10 billion euros ($10.83 billion) by 2026 to hit a return on sales target of 6.5%, a spokesperson said on Wednesday. "The Volkswagen Group is focusing even more strongly on profitability and cash flow," Antlitz said in his post. Antlitz's statement came after Volkswagen brand chief Thomas Schaefer told workers in an internal memo in mid-May it was planning an overhaul at its core brand to put it on more solid footing. Volkswagen is due to present new financial targets and an updated corporate strategy for the entire group at a capital markets day next Wednesday. The carmaker's supervisory board was due to discuss on Tuesday cost-cutting measures across the Volkswagen, Seat, Skoda and Cupra brands to achieve that goal, a source told Reuters.
Persons: Arno Antlitz, Antlitz, Thomas Schaefer, Schaefer, Victoria Waldersee, Jan Schwartz, Miranda Murray, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Skoda, SEAT, Volkswagen, Reuters, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, Spain
BERLIN, June 12 (Reuters) - Volkswagen's (VOWG_p.DE) supervisory board will meet on Tuesday to discuss a planned savings programme ahead of its capital markets day on June 21, two sources close to the company said on Monday. The board will discuss cost-cutting measures amounting to at least 3 billion euros ($3.22 billion) across the Volkswagen, Seat, Skoda and Cupra brands, said one source. Germany daily Handelsblatt, which first reported on the savings programme, reported that Chief Executive Oliver Blume wants to curb duplicate development work and better utilise German plants, particularly at Audi and Volkswagen. Volkswagen brand chief Thomas Schaefer said in an internal memo in May that the brand was targeting a 6.5% return on sales, compared to 3% achieved in the first quarter of this year. The Volkswagen brand must act," he wrote at the time.
Persons: Oliver Blume, Arno Antlitz, Thomas Schaefer, Jan Schwartz, Miranda Murray, Victoria Waldersee, Susan Fenton Organizations: Volkswagen, Skoda, Audi, Group, Reuters, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, Germany
HAMBURG, May 31 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) has introduced extra shifts at its factory in Wolfsburg, the carmaker's biggest, after supply chain disruptions in the wake of the Ukraine war and global chip shortage have eased, a senior executive said. Imelda Labbe, who is part of the management board of the Volkswagen brand, said in an internal interview seen by Reuters that Volkwagen's German plants were significantly better utilised than in 2022. "Our production network in Germany was hit particularly hard by the consequences of the corona pandemic, the global chip crisis and the Ukraine war," Labbe said. This also includes the carmaker's plant in Wolfsburg, where Volkswagen is based, Labbe said, adding that the site could only produce 400,000 car, or half its annual capacity, in 2022. Instead, Volkswagen had to introduce extra shifts from May to meet production targets, Labbe said, adding this has positively impacted delivery schedules, which have come down to around 3 months in Europe for its fully electric ID models.
Persons: Imelda Labbe, Labbe, Jan Schwartz, Christoph Steitz, Friederike Heine, Miranda Murray Organizations: HAMBURG, Volkswagen, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Wolfsburg, Ukraine, Germany, Europe
[1/3] Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG and Dr. Ing. He did not mention the company's Xinjiang plant in China, a joint venture with SAIC Motor (600104.SS), which has become a sore point for human rights activists as well as some shareholders, including top-20 investors Deka Investment and Union Investment. "Volkswagen must be certain that its supply chains are clean," said Ingo Speich, head of sustainability and corporate governance at Deka. Volkswagen's China chief visited the plant in Xinjiang earlier this year and said he saw no evidence of forced labour. Shareholders flagged rising competition from Chinese EV competitors in China, with BYD (002594.SZ) outselling Volkswagen as the top passenger car brand earlier this year.
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