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The plants of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand are to successively restart production. First, production is to be resumed at the plants in Zwickau and Bratislava (Slovakia) in the week from April 20. The other plants in Germany and in Portugal, Spain, Russia and the USA are to restart production in the week from April 27. Subsequently, in the course of May, production will be resumed successively in South Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. Ralf Brandstätter, COO of the Volkswagen brand, said: “With the decisions by the federal and state governments in Germany and the loosening of restrictions in other European states, conditions have been established for the gradual resumption of production. Volkswagen has prepared intensively for these steps over the past three weeks. In addition to developing a comprehensive catalogue of measures for the protection of our employees’ health, we have also forged ahead with the re-establishment of our supply chains.” On this basis, short-time working is to continue at the Volkswagen plants in Germany. However, the number of employees affected by short time working will be successively reduced in line with the resumption of production.

Production will be resumed in line with the current availability of parts, government requirements in Germany and Europe, the development of sales markets and the resulting modes of operation of the plants. Irrespective of these developments, compliance with the stringent health protection measures for employees will always be the top priority.

Andreas Tostmann, Board Member of the Volkswagen brand responsible for Production and Logistics, said: “We are resuming production and logistics with a staged approach in a well-organized way. The health of our employees has the highest priority. We are providing safe workplaces and the maximum possible level of health protection with a 100-point plan. In full awareness of our responsibility, we are ensuring that the economy regains momentum and cars once again leave the plants and reach our dealers and customers.”

Bernd Osterloh, Chairman of the Works Council, said: “We have never experienced a situation like this before. However, I know that our colleagues are fantastically well motivated to start work again. Production is resumed after each works holiday, which is why we have considerable experience with this process. In the light of the pandemic, we need to adapt our routines. One answer is our new agreement on health protection. With about 100 measures, we are keeping the risk of infection at Volkswagen as low as possible. This will set a standard for the industry. But we need to be realistic: at the beginning, the new procedures will give rise to queries and reservations on the part of our colleagues. We have never developed, produced and sold vehicles under these conditions before. This is why I expect our managers to ensure that employees are thoroughly familiar with the new procedures. Taking the time to answer questions is more important now than daily production figures.”

Volkswagen Group Components had already started to resume production step-by-step at its plants in Brunswick and Kassel from April 6, followed by the Components plants in Salzgitter, Chemnitz and Hanover, as well as the Polish plants, from April 14, to safeguard component supplies for vehicle production in China. Thomas Schmall, CEO of the Volkswagen Group Components brand: “The step-by-step reopening of our plants was important in order to safeguard supplies to overseas locations. Now we need to restart the entire production network while taking comprehensive protective measures and to supply all the vehicle plants of the various brands with components. The same high requirements for the health protection of our employees apply to all our plants.”

In the resumption of production, the company can also call upon the experience gained with the production ramp-up at its plants in China where a large number of consistent health protection measures have been successfully implemented. 32 of the 33 plants in China have now returned to production. No cases of coronavirus have been reported among the employees there. Volkswagen continues to closely monitor the global situation arising as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Further action will be based to a large extent on dialogue and procedures within the Volkswagen Group and recommendations including those of the Robert Koch Institute.

Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com

Who is Jason Bourne? This question lies at the heart of the popular film series of the same name. While Bourne is played by Hollywood superstar Matt Damon, it is Tanner Foust in the role of the fictitious secret agent in many of the films’ spectacular driving scenes. As a brand ambassador, Foust represents Volkswagen R around the world.

Tanner Foust is an American racing driver, stunt man and presenter. He’s a four-time Rallycross Champion, winning his most recent title in 2019 behind the wheel of a Volkswagen Beetle R. The Volkswagen pilot also has two championships in “Formula Drift” under his belt, along with four gold medals at the X-Games.

The 46-year-old is actively involved in the coordination and approval process for new Volkswagen R vehicles. “Tanner Foust is a man of many talents. Of course, it’s his skills behind the wheel that stand out the most. With his positive mindset and infectious passion for sporty cars, he is also a really likeable guy. Tanner is a great fit for us and represents everything that Volkswagen R stands for around the globe – in a charismatic and authentic manner,” says Jost Capito, Managing Director at Volkswagen R. “His expertise is also a genuine advantage for the development and optimisation of R models.”

At the beginning of February, the GP Ice Race in Zell am See (Austria) brought the successful combination of Foust and the Beetle R back together. Foust drove the 560 PS Beetle to victory in the American Rallycross (ARX) Championships in 2019 – enabling the now decommissioned model series to go out in true style. In Zell, the successful pairing drifted over the ice track with ease. “The Beetle R is the most fun office you could have. It’s truly a one-of-a-kind vehicle. 2019 was the last year that this Beetle appeared in a race. So, it is extra special for me to have the honour of driving it again one last time here in Zell am See,” enthused the R brand ambassador Foust.

His new “offices”: the eR1 and the Atlas Cross Sport prepared for the “Baja 1000 Race”. The eR1 is a test vehicle for a purely electric racing car based on the body of a Volkswagen Golf. “The future of Volkswagen and motorsport is electric,” says Tanner Foust, looking forward to his appearances in the eR1 in particular. After the cold and the ice, he then went to battle the heat. The largest Volkswagen meet in the Middle East, the “Dub Drive GC” in Abu Dhabi, took place in February. In addition to some spectacular drift shows, this year’s R-Model of the Year was also selected at the event. Foust is well aware of how much love goes into fans’ carefully tweaked Volkswagen models at the “Dubbie” meet.

Jason Bourne is not the only action star who has the R brand ambassador to thank for their incredible driving skills.Foust has also worked as a stunt driver on other Hollywood productions, including Iron Man 2, Need 4 Speed and the popular Fast & Furious series. In “Tokyo Drift”, the third part of the high-octane saga, he expertly manoeuvred tuned sports cars across tarmac and through narrow car park ramps to impressive effect on film. The precision drift work required in a small amount of space garnered him a nomination at the Taurus World Stunt Awards, an accomplishment Foust has repeated three times.Foust has also made a name for himself as a presenter: he guided spectators through the US version of the TV show “Top Gear” between 2010 and 2016. Foust found his passion for drifting at a young age – and he did so in Scotland and not the USA as you might expect. As a member of an US Navy family, he grew up in Scotland, where he discovered rally driving. As a youngster, Foust learned the real way to drive a car on remote country roads in Scotland. After his time in Europe, he moved back to the USA and eventually moved to Colorado to obtain his University Degree in Biology.

However, his passion for motorsport never left him: during the holidays, he spent every free minute at the racing track. To secure his time behind the wheel of racing cars, he temped as a mechanic or driving instructor – until he graduated and finally went pro in 2003 after a brief period as an amateur racing driver. Foust has lived in California ever since. However, his true home remains the same: behind the wheel.

Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com

A global bestseller sets another new record: in spring 2020, the Volkswagen Tiguan broke the production barrier of six million units. A total of 910,926 units of the SUV were manufactured in 2019 alone. This makes the Tiguan the best-selling car in the Volkswagen brand and Group. The versatile vehicle is available to buy in 80% of all countries on earth. It is the most successful SUV on the market in Europe. The Tiguan is one of the three most popular sport utility vehicles in the world. Volkswagen produces the top-selling model in four time zones across three continents.

On average, a brand new best-selling Tiguan rolled off the production line every 35 seconds in one of the company’s Tiguan factories last year. This fast rate of production reflects the rapid development of this product line. The world première of the first generation of the SUV took place at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt back in 2007. Later that year, the first Tiguan came onto the market. Since then, the newcomer has enjoyed a meteoric rise. In 2008, Volkswagen manufactured more than 150,000 units of the Tiguan, which was available with all-wheel drive or front-wheel drive. In Germany, it claimed the title of the most successful SUV from a standing start. And, from the outset, the new model was also in demand worldwide. With this multi-talented dynamo of a driving machine, Volkswagen clearly fulfils customer demands for a modern, compact SUV. A significantly updated version of the best-seller was unveiled in 2011. It was a resounding success: the annual Tiguan volume subsequently broke the 500,000 barrier for the first time.

The second generation of the Tiguan arrived on the market in April 2016. The SUV was now constructed using the Modular Transverse Toolkit (MQB) for the first time. And this technical platform changed everything. Increased dynamic proportions provided the template for an authentic and energetic SUV design. The interior was considerably roomier owing to the extra wheelbase, while new assist systems enhanced the vehicle’s active safety.

The product line was revamped again in 2017 with the debut of a second Tiguan Model– an XL version with a wheelbase extended by 110 mm, up to seven seats, and a bespoke design. The new version of the vehicle body gave the product line another major boost – 55% of all Tiguan models leaving the production line now have a long wheelbase. In America, Volkswagen sells the second-generation Tiguan exclusively in its long version. On the European markets and in many other countries, the long wheelbase model was launched as the Tiguan Allspace. The XL version sold as the Tiguan L in China is a best-seller. In October 2018, Volkswagen added a plug-in hybrid drive to the range of engines available for the Chinese Tiguan L.

The Tiguan is currently manufactured at four Volkswagen plants spread across four time zones, thus ensuring almost round-the-clock production of the versatile SUV. The version with a normal wheelbase (NWB) is manufactured at Volkswagen’s main plant in Wolfsburg, Germany, for the markets in Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania. The Kaluga plant, situated 170 kilometres south-west of Moscow, produces the NWB vehicles for the Russian market and for neighbouring Central Asian countries. In Shanghai, Volkswagen manufactures the Tiguan L with a long wheelbase (LWB) for the Chinese market. In the Mexican city of Puebla, the LWB versions of the Tiguan are produced for North and South America and for countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania.

Over two generations, the Tiguan has developed into one of the most successful sport utility vehicles in the world. During this period it has become one of the production mainstays of the Volkswagen brand and Group. Volkswagen is preparing to launch the next chapter of the Tiguan success story with a major technical and visual update in 2020. One of the highlights will be a new additional variant with a plug-in hybrid drive (PHEV) for Europe. The countdown has already begun...

Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com

Following the cancellation of this year’s Geneva International Motor Show, the VW brand show stand can now be visited online. Starting today, visitors can experience all the new models of the brand for two weeks round the clock from their own homes at https://www.volkswagen.de/de/specials/geneva-2020.html. The 360° tour offers an interactive digital experience allowing visitors to immerse into the show. They can stroll across the booth, view vehicles from all sides and also change colors and wheel rim configurations using easy-to-use functions.

"I am pleased that our marketing team has succeeded in making our booth available to all visitors despite the cancellation of the Geneva Motor Show. Virtually, they can experience our team’s attention to detail in the presentation of this show and our product highlights. Once again, this demonstrates that special situations call for special solutions,” says Jürgen Stackmann, Member of the Volkswagen brand Board of Management responsible for Sales, Marketing and After-Sales . “We are convinced that we will be able to reach even more people in future through virtual show visits in addition to the real presentation of vehicles.”

All the vehicles and the booth planned for Geneva have been digitally processed for the 360° experience and give visitors a three-dimensional experience of being at the show. The main focus is on the new products of 2020: these range from the future electric vehicle ID.3 to the new R with plug-in hybrid technology and the latest generation of the iconic sports versions of the compact Golf, the GTI, GTD and GTE. 

Users take part in a guided tour of the booth, but can control their visit individually. By clicking integrated additional features and interactive exhibits which allow vehicles to be displayed with different colors or wheel rims, users are encouraged to interact with the presentation. Finally, users are guided to a registration page where they can create their VW ID to receive personalized offers in the future.

“Our first digital booth is only the opening chapter in our new sustainable concept for future innovative online experiences,” says Jochen Sengpiehl, Chief Marketing Officer of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand. “Exploiting the opportunities offered by virtual reality is part of our digitalization strategy. It will become an integral component of our experience marketing, the entire external presentation of the brand and interaction with customers and fans.” 

The virtual motor show can be visited online free of charge. The website is available in German and English until April 17, 2020.

Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com