Volkswagen Group has reiterated its strategic goal of becoming the world’s most environmentally sustainable automaker by 2018 and is planning to reduce the average CO2 output for its European lineup to 95g/km by 2020.
In the runup to the Geneva show, CEO Martin Winterkorn said that the group’s ecological restructuring, also announced in Geneva a year ago, is “proceeding to schedule”. He added: “We are orienting Volkswagen towards maximum energy and resource efficiency. We are well on our way to making our Group the world’s leading automaker in environmental terms.”
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The Volkswagen Group is now setting itself even more ambitious targets: “Volkswagen is committing to reducing the CO2 output of the European new car fleet to 95 grams per kilometre by 2020.”
According to Winterkorn: “That corresponds to a fuel consumption of less than 4 litres – across all segments and vehicle classes. This is a Herculean task calling for the best efforts of all our 40,000 developers. We can do it.”
Winterkorn also stated that Volkswagen would reach its self-imposed target of reducing the CO2 output of its European new vehicle fleet to less than 120 grams per kilometer by 2015. Volkswagen intends to outperform by more than 12 grams the figure required by law for its vehicle fleet.
Winterkorn added that “now is the time to initiate innovations so that efficient technologies and alternative powertrains can be widely used faster. I am convinced this is in the best interests of customers, the environment and Europe as an industrial location.”
Winterkorn also highlighted the XL1 car shown at Geneva.
“Our one-litre car, the XL1, is a technological spearhead. With fuel consumption of 0.83 liters and 21 grams CO2 per kilometer, the XL1 sets new long-term standards in the automotive industry. The technologies used in the XL1 find their way into our series vehicles. That applies in particular to plug-in hybrid technology, which we are systematically pursuing.”
Winterkorn added that the development of increasingly efficient technologies, powertrains and vehicles and environmentally sustainable production would account for more than two thirds of the total investment of EUR50.2bn planned by the group up to 2015.
The group was moving forward “in leaps and bounds” towards its ambitious target of making all 100 production facilities throughout the world 25% more environmentally compatible by 2018. In terms of the key indicators for energy and water consumption, waste production, and CO2 and solvent emissions, the group has on average made environmental savings of 10 percent per vehicle produced over the past two years, VW says.
