Remember Volkswagen? They were supposed to be building a seven-passenger SUV in America, which was part of the “Strategy 2018” to become the worlds best automaker. Then this little scandal called Dieselgate sort of ruined everything. Now they’re trying to get back on track.
A few years ago, Volkswagen announced “Strategy 2018,” which was a strategy to - get this - get shit done by 2018. Back in 2010, the plan was to invest an astonishing amount of cash into increased production and new vehicle development that would help propel the Volkswagen Group to becoming the biggest, best-est automaker in the world.
Unfortunately, kids, Volkswagen lied and cheated many of the world’s governments’ emissions tests by installing non-compliant “defeat devices” to 11 million diesel models, causing better but dishonest emissions figures and now they have to fix it, which is very expensive. Probably as expensive - if not more so - than that initial 70 billion they used for “Strategy 2018.”
But fear not! Volkwagen’s new CEO Mathias Mueller announced a new plan; a better plan than that old plan “Strategy 2018.”
He calls it “Strategy 2025.”
Via Carscoops, this new strategy doubles down on a promise to expand the current VW production facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee for a new seven-seater SUV, which should sell just alright here in the states. It will probably end up looking something like the CrossBlue Concept up top, and will boost the already sizable $1 billion the company has invested in the plant.
Mueller also said the new strategy will include the restructuring of Volkswagen Group to allow the various brands to have increased degrees of autonomy and decision making, and should facilitate a change of focus from quantity to quality.
He also promises that his company is taking the investigation into Dieselgate very seriously, and hopes to come to a conclusion, as well as a fix for all 11 million affected models, “soon.” VW’s full portfolio of over 300 models will also get an eyeing over to “examine the contribution that each one makes to our earnings,” according to Mueller.
The specific details of “Strategy 2025” will be developed over the next few months, and we should expect to hear more next summer.
PHOTO CREDIT: VW
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