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[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

REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth Acquire Licensing RightsMUNICH, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE) does not expect its sales in Europe to be all-electric by 2030 but will have its line-up ready, Chief Executive Ola Kaellenius said in an interview at the Munich car show. The premium carmaker has long said it is targeting all-electric sales by 2030 "where markets allow", saying customers will ultimately decide what product they want and pointing to the need for infrastructure to support the transition to electric vehicles (EV). Europe's EV market had grown significantly in recent years but likely wouldn't be ready for all-electric sales by 2030, Kaellenius said on the sidelines of the Munich show. "It's not going to be 100% in 2030, obviously... from the whole European market, but probably from the Mercedes side as well," he said. EV sales in Europe grew nearly 55% in the first seven months of 2023, to about 820,000 vehicles, making up about 13% of all car sales.

Persons: Mercedes, Angelika Warmuth, Ola Kaellenius, Kaellenius, It's, Oliver Zipse, Oliver Blume, Victoria Waldersee, Miranda Murray, Susan Fenton Organizations: Benz, REUTERS, Rights, Mercedes, BMW, Volkswagen, Victoria, Thomson Locations: Munich, Germany, Europe, China

A Renault wallbox charging station is used by a Renault Captur hybrid car at a dealership in Les Sorinieres, near Nantes, France, October 23, 2020. 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 will undercut local carmakers and dominate EV sales. Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE) will present its CLA compact class and BMW (BMWG.DE) its Neue Klasse, both of which target higher range and efficiency, while halving production costs. Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) CEO Oliver Blume told reporters that through its partnerships in China, the carmaker aims to cut battery cell costs by 50%.

Persons: Stephane Mahe, Luca de Meo, De Meo, Fabian Brandt, Oliver Wyman, Gilles Le Borgne, Oliver Blume, " Blume, Nick Carey, Victoria Waldersee, Gilles Gillaume, Christina Amann, Friederike Heine, Clarence Fernandez, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Renault, REUTERS, China EV, Reuters, HK, Europe's EV, EV, Jato Dynamics, Benz, BMW, Klasse, Volkswagen, Greenpeace, Protesters, Thomson Locations: Les Sorinieres, Nantes, France, China, MUNICH, BYD, Europe, Munich, 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

☆ Volkswagen CEO outlines plans to weather China, macroeconomic headwinds
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailVolkswagen CEO outlines plans to weather China, macroeconomic headwindsVolkswagen CEO Oliver Blume speaks about the German carmaker's growth plans in China and the company's strategy to weather a tough economic environment.

Persons: Oliver Blume Locations: China

☆ 'We are ready to engage': Europe's biggest carmakers brace for China's EV challenge
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

BMW CEO Oliver Zipse speaks during the presentation of the new BMW "New Class" during an event ahead of the IAA motor show in Munich. Europe's dominant position in the automotive sector was established over many decades through its capacity to build superior combustion engines. The German behemoth has already created automotive software company CARIAD, as well as partnering with Chinese EV startup Xpeng, joint venture partner SAIC and autonomous driving company Horizon Robotics. watch nowHe added that Volkswagen has established "huge cost initiatives" and sees big opportunities to scale up its EV production while reducing battery production costs by 50%. Our electricity costs compared to China or North America are too high," Skoda CEO Klaus Zellmer told CNBC on Monday.

Persons: Oliver Zipse, Christophe Périllat, Luca De Meo, Ampere, De Meo, CNBC's Annette Weisbach, Oliver Blume, " Blume, Blume, Klaus Zellmer, Joe Biden's, BEV, Zellmer Organizations: BMW, IAA, Getty, CNBC, Volkswagen, Renault, IAA Mobility, SAIC, Horizon Robotics, Volkswagen Group, CRU Group, Skoda Locations: Munich, China, Europe, North America, U.S, Canada, Spain, Germany

☆ For John Green, the Battle Over Access to Books Has Gotten Personal
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Alexandra Alter | More About Alexandra Alter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For about as long as he’s been a published author, John Green has faced efforts to censor his books. His debut novel, “Looking for Alaska,” a coming-of-age story that includes references to drug use and sex, has been challenged in schools for at least 15 years, and has frequently landed on the American Library Association’s most banned books list. Last year, it received more than 50 challenges in schools across the country. But a recent dust-up over whether his books are appropriate for teens feels more personal, and like an escalation of a growing movement to ban and restrict access to books, Green said. A public library in his home state of Indiana implemented a new policy earlier this year requiring library staff to remove any books with sexually explicit content from the children’s and teens section and re-shelve them in the adult collection.

Persons: John Green, Green, Judy Blume, Laurie Halse Anderson, ” Organizations: American, Hamilton East Public Library Locations: Alaska, ”, Indiana, Indianapolis

But Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani snatched IPL rights away in a $2.9 billion bid last year, and then streamed games for free. Soon, Disney subscribers fled - out of 61 million users in October, roughly 21 million had left by July. It retains digital streaming rights but last year licensed the TV broadcast rights to Indian's Zee Entertainment (ZEE.NS) for around $1.5 billion, a source said. In the United States, ad-free Disney+ streaming service subscription rates are set to rise by 27% to $13.99 per month. By contrast in India, Disney+ Hotstar service costs $3.62 a month.

Persons: Anushree, India's Ambani Hotstar, Walt Disney, Disney, Mukesh Ambani, That's, JioCinema, Sivanandan, Daoud Jackson, Bob Iger's, Nancy Lee, Ambani, Aditya Kalra, Munsif, Dawn Chmielewski, Muralikumar Organizations: ICC Men's Cricket, REUTERS, Companies Disney India, Century Fox, Indian Premier League, Disney, Reuters, Asia, Cricket, Indian's Zee Entertainment, IPL, Blume Ventures, Hotstar, Staff, Media Partners, Netflix, JioCinema, Thomson Locations: Gurugram, India, Burbank, Disney India, United States, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Dawn, Los Angeles

☆ It's official: The battery crunch is the new chip shortage
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The chip shortage has ailed the auto industry since early in COVID, but a bigger issue is surfacing. Automakers are starting to see the impacts of the electric vehicle battery crunch. It's official: The battery crunch is the new chip shortage. The chip shortage is still impacting vehicle supply, experts say, but automakers are now having to reckon with the battery supply chains as an even bigger headwind. Challenges surrounding electric vehicle production and the battery supply chain are finally materializing for legacy automakers and impacting their bottom lines.

Persons: Jim Farley, Elon Musk, Tesla, Mary Barra, Barra, Oliver Blume Organizations: Ford, Morning, GM, Porsche, Tesla, Battery Locations: COVID, Canadian, EVs

☆ VW-Xpeng EV models to use Xpeng platform in boost for Chinese startup
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 27 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) and Xpeng's (9868.HK) jointly developed electric vehicles (EV) will use Xpeng's G9 'Edward' platform, in a filip for the Chinese startup that analysts said could boost its sales and profitability. The Edward platform is an older generation of Xpeng's platform technology, forming the basis for the startup's G9 and P7 models. Its latest models, like the G6, are being built on a newer platform, the Smart Electric Platform Architecture (SEPA) 2.0. Still, news that Volkswagen and Xpeng will use the Edward platform could help boost the sales of models still using it, said an analyst who declined to be named. The partnership could also help lower Xpeng's EV production costs by leveraging Volkswagen's scale and bargaining power in supply.

Persons: Edward, filip, Oliver Blume, Xpeng, Blume, Victoria Waldersee, Zhang Yan, Matthias Williams, Mark Potter Organizations: HK, Volkswagen, Smart, EV, Deutsche Bank, Thomson Locations: China

☆ Volkswagen Seeks to Regain Edge in China as It Cuts Delivery Forecast
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Melissa Eddy | More About Melissa Eddy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

But overall revenue increased 18.2 percent as the company stemmed some of its losses in China, where deliveries were down 1.2 percent. Western Europe provided the company with its strongest business, with 1.65 million vehicles ordered in the first half of the year, and 200,000 of them — or 12 percent — were electric vehicles, the company said. Volkswagen hopes that its investment in XPeng will help advance the German automaker’s electric vehicle software to the standards produced by Chinese manufacturers. Some analysts interpreted the move as a concession that Volkswagen was unable to compete with Chinese companies on the latest technology. But Oliver Blume, Volkswagen’s chief executive, expressed confidence that VW customers, including those in China, want more variety in their vehicles.

Persons: ”, Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, Oliver Blume, Mr, Blume, “ Organizations: Volkswagen, Volkswagen Group Rus, China, BYD, Audi, SAIC, British, Center for Automotive Research, “, Tesla, Volkswagen Group, Porsche, Lamborghini, VW Locations: China, Western Europe, Russia, Avilon, Moscow, XPeng, Duisburg, Germany

☆ Trinity Nuclear Test’s Fallout Reached 46 States, Canada and Mexico, Study Finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Lesley M. M. Blume | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In July 1945, as J. Robert Oppenheimer and the other researchers of the Manhattan Project prepared to test their brand-new atomic bomb in a New Mexico desert, they knew relatively little about how that mega-weapon would behave. On July 16, when the plutonium-implosion device was set off atop a hundred-foot metal tower in a test code-named “Trinity,” the resultant blast was much stronger than anticipated. The irradiated mushroom cloud also went many times higher into the atmosphere than expected: some 50,000 to 70,000 feet. A new study, released on Thursday ahead of submission to a scientific journal for peer review, shows that the cloud and its fallout went farther than anyone in the Manhattan Project had imagined in 1945. Using state-of-the-art modeling software and recently uncovered historical weather data, the study’s authors say that radioactive fallout from the Trinity test reached 46 states, Canada and Mexico within 10 days of detonation.

Persons: Robert Oppenheimer, ”, Sébastien Phillippe Organizations: Manhattan Project, Trinity, Princeton University’s, Science, Global Security Locations: New Mexico, Trinity, Canada, Mexico

☆ Sensorfact helps industrial companies manage their energy and water usage. Check out the 11-slide pitch deck it used to raise $28 million.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sensorfact has created a smart monitoring system to help industrial companies cut energy and water use. Check out the 11-slide pitch deck it used to secure 25 million euros (around $28 million). A Dutch startup helping industrial companies manage their energy and water use has just raised 25 million euros (around $28 million) from growth impact fund Blume Equity. Sensorfact, founded in 2017, has developed a smart monitoring system for industrial companies including food and beverage, plastic and rubber, and metals manufacturers. It uses wireless sensors that are clipped onto machine cables and gas, water, and compressed air pipes to monitor flow every 30 seconds, which is fed back to a user-facing platform.

Persons: Sensorfact, Pieter Broekema's, Broekema, Biden's, Blume, Eleanor Blagbrough Organizations: Blume Equity, Sensorfact, Industry, SET Ventures Locations: Dutch, Europe

☆ 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

☆ Volkswagen Replaces Audi Chief Amid Pressure to Electrify
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Melissa Eddy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The NewsVolkswagen is replacing the chief executive at its luxury brand Audi, naming Gernot Döllner to take over from Markus Duesmann, as the company seeks to accelerate its transition to electric vehicles. Mr. Döllner, who has served as Volkswagen’s leading strategist, will start his new role on Sept. 1, Audi said in a statement on Thursday. Audi, although profitable, is struggling to convert to battery power and compete with the growing threat from Chinese carmakers. Herbert Diess, Volkswagen’s chief executive before Oliver Blume took over in September, brought Mr. Duesmann to Audi from BMW three years ago, with the hope that he could help the brand innovate and strengthen sales of its electric models. Audi is now working on its final generation of combustion engine models and plans to bring 10 new electric models to its lineup, ahead of plans to produce only E.V.s beginning in 2026.

Persons: Markus Duesmann, Döllner, Herbert Diess, Oliver Blume, Duesmann Organizations: Volkswagen, Audi, BMW

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

OTTAWA, June 16 (Reuters) - Flags flew lowered in the Canadian province of Manitoba on Friday and relatives braced for bad news after 15 mainly elderly people died in one of the country's worst recent road crashes. "It's a terrible, terrible thing that occurred, and our thoughts go out to the families that have been absolutely devastated by this news," he told reporters in Montreal. Ron Bretecher, whose parents were on the bus, told reporters his mother had survived the crash but his father was still unaccounted for. The bus, heading south, was crossing the Trans-Canada highway when it collided with the truck, which was traveling east. "The fire was about 10 to 15 feet high and the smoke was almost 20, 30 feet high," Vadera said.

Persons: Justin Trudeau, Ron Bretecher, It's, Mike Blume, David Bosiak, Ross, William Doherty, Nirmesh Vadera, Vadera, David Ljunggren, Nick Macfie, Jonathan Oatis, Nick Zieminski Organizations: OTTAWA, Flags, Police, Canadian Broadcasting Corp, CBC, Thomson Locations: Canadian, Manitoba, Carberry, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal, Dauphin, Carberry , Manitoba, Canada, Saskatchewan

OTTAWA, June 15 (Reuters) - At least 15 people were killed in the Canadian prairie province of Manitoba on Thursday after a semi-trailer truck hit a small bus that was carrying a group of mainly elderly people, police said. The crash occurred at the junction of two major roads near the town of Carberry in southwestern Manitoba, 170 km (105 miles) west of Winnipeg. The bus passengers had been on their way to a casino in Carberry, CBC News reported, citing a casino spokesperson. THIS IMAGE MAY OFFEND OR DISTURB Police secures the area at the crash scene near Carberry, Manitoba, Canada June 15, 2023 in this still image obtained from a social media video. "My heart breaks hearing the news of the tragic accident near Carberry," Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson said on Twitter.

Persons: We've, Rob Hill, Hill, Mike Blume, Justin Trudeau, Heather Stefanson, David Ljunggren, Ismail Shakil, Nia Williams, Sandra Maler, Matthew Lewis, Grant McCool Organizations: OTTAWA, CBC News, Manitoba Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Police, REUTERS Media, Handi, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Winnipeg Free Press, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Manitoba, Carberry, Winnipeg, Canada, Carberry , Manitoba, tarpaulins, Saskatchewan, Quebec, Ottawa, British Columbia

☆ Volkswagen supervisory board to discuss savings programme on Tuesday
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

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

☆ A protestor threw a cake-like pastry at a board member's head during a Volkswagen meeting that descended into chaos
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

About a dozen protestors reportedly created chaos at Volkswagen Groups annual meeting on Wednesday. One protestor threw what appeared to be a cake at a board member's head. The Associated Press reported that the pastry was thrown in the direction of Wolfgang Porsche, the chairman of Volkswagen Group's majority shareholder, Porsche SE. But recordings of the moment, uploaded to YouTube from news outlets including The Guardian, show VW Group chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch dodging remnants of the pastry that flew in his direction. A Reuters video from the event shows the protestors being led out of the meeting by security.

[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.

☆ Chinese competition, Xinjiang plant loom large for Volkswagen investors at AGM
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, May 10 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) investors will demand answers from the carmakers' executives at its annual general meeting on Wednesday on its competitiveness in China and its contested plant in Xinjiang, advance copies of their speeches showed. "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, jointly owned with SAIC (600104.SS) earlier this year and said he saw no evidence of forced labour. Shareholders will also flag the rising competition from Chinese electric vehicle competitors in China, with BYD outselling the Volkswagen brand to be the bestselling passenger car brand earlier this year. Reporting by Victoria Waldersee, Jan Schwartz; Editing by Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Volkswagen defends China record at turbulent shareholder meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Volkswagen defended its record in China and its decision to jointly own a plant in the Xinjiang region after activists and investors lashed out at the carmaker at a volatile annual general shareholder meeting on Wednesday. The United Nations said last year that China's "arbitrary and discriminatory detention" of Uyghurs and other Muslims in its Xinjiang region may constitute crimes against humanity. Rights groups have documented abuses including mass forced labour in detention camps which China has denied. Investors called on Volkswagen to request its joint venture partner SAIC seeks an independent external audit of the Xinjiang plant. "Volkswagen must be certain that its supply chains are clean," said Ingo Speich, head of sustainability and corporate governance at Deka, a top-20 Volkswagen shareholder.

☆ VW Taps Bentley Executive to Fix Software Unit
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( William Boston | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume says he wants software development to better line up with car launches. Photo: ALY SONG/REUTERSBERLIN— Volkswagen Chief Executive Officer Oliver Blume named a company insider to head the automaker’s struggling software unit as part of a broader overhaul of how the company develops the software for its cars, VW said on Monday. Mr. Blume put Cariad, the unit, under review after taking up the job late last year. Set up by his predecessor, Cariad had struggled to deliver glitch-free software on schedule, causing VW to postpone the launch of several models across its brands.

☆ Bentley production chief to lead Volkswagen's software overhaul - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Jan Schwartz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 8 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) will announce later on Monday the removal of leadership at its troubled software arm Cariad and the appointment of Bentley production chief Peter Bosch to take the unit's helm, two sources close to the company said. Volkswagen is set to dismiss all but one of the unit's current executive board members, with only human resources head Rainer Zugehoer to remain. Bosch will also take over financial management at Cariad, the sources said, confirming an earlier report by Handelsblatt. Sources said at the time that Diess' failure to put Cariad, a business he set up, on a solid footing contributed to his ousting. Reporting by Jan Schwartz, Writing by Victoria Waldersee, Editing by Miranda MurrayOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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