VW Group CEO Herbert Diess Confirms 'Race With Tesla' & VW's Advantages

[TMC Staff]

Diess is one of the few automotive CEOs who credits Tesla’s momentum. He says it will be a race, but VW has some advantages. Late last week, we shared an article with you about Volkswagen Group’s upcoming electric vehicle investments. This is because the group’s new five-year planning cycle was just approved by the board. Now, this week,...
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[EdCBC]

Volkswagen CEO thinks they can catch up to Tesla. He thinks the existing dealer network is an advantage. Not likely, dealers are not likely to push very low maintenance EV's, they like the cash flow from maintaining ICE cars. As to all their body styles, adapting an ICE body to battery electric leads to an inferior EV, that few people will buy. the Bolt is a good example.

 

[EVortex]

At least Diess is not in denial like most legacy automakers. The problem is he just can’t throw billions at the problem for a quick fix. Hiring 10,000 software developers will just complicate things and will not result in the quick innovation Diess wants. This is not the first time we have heard similar plans from VW. Nothing new here, just more of the same with the latest spin.

 

[jboy210]

Volkswagen CEO thinks they can catch up to Tesla. He thinks the existing dealer network is an advantage. Not likely, dealers are not likely to push very low maintenance EV's, they like the cash flow from maintaining ICE cars. As to all their body styles, adapting an ICE body to battery electric leads to an inferior EV, that few people will buy. the Bolt is a good example.

Agree. They need to clean sheet a design and build around batteries, electric motors, and most importantly software.

 

[DentorP]

Agree. They need to clean sheet a design and build around batteries, electric motors, and most importantly software.

 

[DentorP]

Battery management is the key to compete Tea

 

[xrayangiodoc]

It remains to be seen what the EV designs and engineering those VW factories end up producing for the public's consideration. I imagine it is something of an advantage for VW that it can reverse engineer Tesla products as a general template. Turning that into an end product that can compete and beat Tesla will be the real challenge.

 

[koblongata]

It's quite a ride seeing giant companies in auto industry's take on Tesla: from dismissive to acknowledging to catching up.

But at least VW is very open about everything, and doing its best to make it up, the rest, especially the Japanese automakers, are worrying, they will fell apart in a few years.

 

[BigNick]

I hope VW succeeds.
More EV choices should force Tesla to improve quality throughout the life cycle of the car.
Defect-free delivery, high-quality post-sale and post-warranty service, replacement packs for those who choose to do so, and efficiently recycling end-of-life battery packs.

 

[koblongata]

I hope VW succeeds.
More EV choices should force Tesla to improve quality throughout the life cycle of the car.
Defect-free delivery, high-quality post-sale and post-warranty service, replacement packs for those who choose to do so, and efficiently recycling end-of-life battery packs.

Yea, Tesla could still improve, but I think they are doing quite well considering they just start mass producing for like several years, that is quite a feat really for a young auto startup, but still, yea, hope they become the standard in quality one day.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

As to all their body styles, adapting an ICE body to battery electric leads to an inferior EV, that few people will buy. the Bolt is a good example.

The Bolt definitely does not have that problem.
The form factor is _extremely_ practical, providing good passenger space, including plentiful rear leg room, and good cargo space for the vehicle size.
The Bolt is also one of the lightest EVs available with curb weight very close to the base Model 3.

The Bolt also has proper charge scheduling, which isn't a surprise since the 2011 Volt from the start, _10 years ago_.

We'd be buying a Bolt if the seats were more comfortable, since the slower DCFC charging isn't an issue for us and we don't need or want ACC. Unfortunately, Covid has caused Chevrolet to delayed the 2021 update to the 2022 model year, which should improve seat comfort, adding lumbar support to its seats.

Tesla doesn't make a compact yet, so it's automatically excluded from consideration, and there are plenty of other reasons not to want one, including its failure to own up to its errors, shambolic customer communications, and its refusal to support basic cruise control instead of TACC, even as a back-up when TACC is unavailable.

 

[EVortex]

The Bolt definitely does not have that problem.
The form factor is _extremely_ practical, providing good passenger space, including plentiful rear leg room, and good cargo space for the vehicle size.
The Bolt is also one of the lightest EVs available with curb weight very close to the base Model 3.

The Bolt also has proper charge scheduling, which isn't a surprise since the 2011 Volt from the start, _10 years ago_.

We'd be buying a Bolt if the seats were more comfortable, since the slower DCFC charging isn't an issue for us and we don't need or want ACC. Unfortunately, Covid has caused Chevrolet to delayed the 2021 update to the 2022 model year, which should improve seat comfort, adding lumbar support to its seats.

Tesla doesn't make a compact yet, so it's automatically excluded from consideration, and there are plenty of other reasons not to want one, including its failure to own up to its errors, shambolic customer communications, and its refusal to support basic cruise control instead of TACC, even as a back-up when TACC is unavailable.

At least Tesla does not recommend you park your car outside to avoid burning down your house, like GM and Bolt.

 

[rxlawdude]

Volkswagen CEO thinks they can catch up to Tesla. He thinks the existing dealer network is an advantage. Not likely, dealers are not likely to push very low maintenance EV's, they like the cash flow from maintaining ICE cars. As to all their body styles, adapting an ICE body to battery electric leads to an inferior EV, that few people will buy. the Bolt is a good example.

Unless, of course, the dealers are reassured that there will be maintenance and repair costs similar to ICE vehicles.

I trust nothing from VAG.

 

[EmOne]

Yea, Tesla could still improve, but I think they are doing quite well considering they just start mass producing for like several years, that is quite a feat really for a young auto startup, but still, yea, hope they become the standard in quality one day.

I came a little late to the Tesla party, but at this point I think a better description of Tesla's accomplishments would be ASTOUNDING. Going from garage to being by far the most valuable company in a traditionally hide-bound industry in 17 years is simply unbelievable. VW has a lot in the way of obsolete assets (including management!), but Tesla has all the money, the people and the vision; they admittedly have a whole lot of management issues on their plate, but, me, I'd just as soon start off with the best cards.

 

[NickFie]

I imagine it is something of an advantage for VW that it can reverse engineer Tesla products as a general template. Turning that into an end product that can compete and beat Tesla will be the real challenge.

Reverse engineering would be a meaningful advantage if Tesla ran on conventional auto industry 5-year platform cycle.

Tesla is on a faster cadence. The 3’s revolutionary Superbottle was obsoleted by the Y’s Octovalve. Then the Octovalve was brought to the 3 on that model’s 3rd anniversary.

Imitation will allow a competitor to confidently roll out a vehicle that nearly matches the specs of a 3-5 year old Tesla.

 

[mspohr]

VW China venture buys green credits from Tesla to meet local rules

Volkswagen joint venture in China is buying green car credits from Tesla to help stay within local environmental rules, according to a Reuters report. The deal, the first of its kind to be reported between the two companies in China, highlights the scale of the task VW faces to transform its huge petrol carmaking business into an electric vehicles specialist to rival Tesla. The deal was confirmed by three sources.Volkswagen joint venture in China is buying green car credits from Tesla to help stay within local environmental rules, according to a Reuters report. The deal, the first of its kind to be reported between the two companies in China, highlights the scale of the task VW faces to transform its huge petrol carmaking business into an electric vehicles specialist to rival Tesla. The deal was confirmed by three sources.
The deal in effect involves VW, the biggest foreign carmaker in China, subsidising a rival while the German group ramps up production of electric vehicles. Its ventures in China plan to roll out five electric ID series models this year.