Volkswagen Group is ambitiously approaching towards environment protection and thus, has set new targets for the near future. Owing to this, the company is planning to spend around two third of its entire investment, 62.4 billion Euros in the next five years and an additional 14 billion Euros in China during 2016. This global investment will lead to the manufacturing of new powertrains, development of advanced technologies, efficient vehicles, and environmentally compatible production plants.
On 5th March 2012 at Geneva International Motor Show, Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman, Volkswagen Group Board of Management, said, “Geneva 2012 marks the start of a fundamental ecological restructuring of the Volkswagen Group. Our declared goal is to make Volkswagen the leading automaker in ecological terms too.”
The company is in favour of responsible conduct towards the society, employees, and the environment. Winterkorn further added, “That is the fundamental element and core of our Strategy 2018. To take pole position and to sustain that lead over the long term, you have to understand all these dimensions of our business and to practice them convincingly at every level. We are raising the bar much higher when it comes to sustainability.”
He mentioned that the company will be also working on the reduction of CO2 emissions by around 30 per cent with the help of its European new vehicle fleet, during the tenure of 2006 to 2015. Winterkorn announced, “As a result, emissions by the Volkswagen Group fleet in 2015 will be below the important threshold of 120 grams CO2 per kilometre for the first time.” He further commented that every new generation vehicle produced by the company would be more efficient by around 10 to 15 per cent than its existing model.
As per Winterkorn, the “Modular Transverse Toolkit” (MQB) will make sustainable developments in efficiency and will substitute powertrain technologies which are accessible throughout its portfolio and all the segments. Winterkorn further added, “Based on the MQB, the Volkswagen Group's efficiency technologies will be available as standard in all new models over the coming years. The next big milestones this year are the Audi A3 and our best-selling model, the Golf.”
According to him, for Volkswagen Group, the year 2013 will be the “year of e-mobility” beginning with its e-up! This will be further followed by many Group brands electric or partially-electric vehicles. Sustainable energy resources and sustainable production represents the company's attempt of multi-billion investment program. As per Winterkorn, “Volkswagen is not only working on developing the most environmentally-friendly vehicles, but also on building them with the greatest possible sustainability. That is why we have set ourselves the target of making production in the Volkswagen Group 25 percent more environmentally compatible by 2018.”
Winterkorn further announced that by 2020, Volkswagen Group is also planning for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent linked with production-related energy supplies He said, “To that end, we will be investing some 600 million Euros in expanding the use of renewable energies such as wind, solar and hydroelectric power.”
