News

Scott Keogh will become President and CEO of the Volkswagen Group of America, as well as CEO for the North American region of the Volkswagen brand. Keogh joined Audi of America as Chief Marketing Officer in 2006, and become President of Audi of America in 2012.

Volkswagen and Stanford University 
have developed a new catalytic converter technology. The innovation primarily involves platinum, a precious metal which is needed as a catalyst for operating the fuel cell. In the new process, platinum atoms are placed on a carbon surface to generate extremely thin particles. This method reduces the amount of expensive platinum used to a fraction of the amount currently needed. It also increases the catalytic converter’s efficiency threefold and lengthens its lifespan. With this new catalytic technology, the fuel cell would become a real alternative to electric battery drive systems and combustion engines. The researchers’ task is now to translate the results obtained in the laboratory to large-scale industrial production.

Employees at the US plant in Chattanooga are celebrating a very special milestone. In early October, the 100,000th Atlas rolled off the production line at the plant.The anniversary SUV in Pacific Blue has a 3.6-liter VR6 engine, an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. “Our objective for the Atlas was to build an SUV in America for America. The success of the Atlas shows America’s approval,” says Plant Manager Antonio Pinto. He remarked that the first milestone of the 100,000th Atlas model would be followed by further records. He gave a special thanks to the team, saying, 
“None of this would have been possible without the world-class team here in Chattanooga.” Production began in Chattanooga in April 2011. Around 3,500 employees are building the Passat and the Atlas there today.

Hans-Joachim Rothenpieler will become Head of Technical Development at Audi AG on November 1, 2018. The Head of Quality Management at the Volkswagen Group will take over the role from Peter Mertens. Mertens had requested that the Audi supervisory board release him from his duties for health reasons. Rothenpieler has a degree in mechanical engineering and has worked for the Volkswagen Group since 1986. In 2007, he took over responsibility for quality assurance for the Volkswagen brand, and has been Head of Development for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles since 2014. Rothenpieler has been in charge of quality management at the Volkswagen Group since 2016.
 

Five stars for the Touareg¹: the crash test experts from Euro NCAP have awarded the luxury SUV top marks. It's the highest possible rating. The Touareg is a safe choice. The SUV’s safety package passed the sophisticated test of the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) by the Brussels-based consumer protection organization with flying colors. This includes the seatbelt, seat and airbag system and the innovative assistance systems. The Touareg got top marks in four categories: passenger safety for adults, passenger safety for children, assistance systems and pedestrian safety. This makes the Touareg one of the safest cars in Europe.

¹Touareg V6 TDI 4MOTION, 210 kW / Fuel consumption in l/100 km: combined 6,6; CO₂-Emission in g/km: 173 (combined), efficiency class: B.

Even years are IZB years: the tenth International Suppliers Fair (IZB) organized by Wolfsburg AG will be taking place from October 16 to 18, 2018, in Wolfsburg’s Allerpark, and this year’s focus is "Think Digital." The exhibition space has been fully booked and the majority of the companies attending are involved in the field of electrics or electronics, making them more than familiar with one of the main topics of this year’s IZB. The IZB Conference has been kicking off the international industry get-together on the day before the official opening of the trade fair since 2008.

On Monday, October 15, speakers including Marco Philippi, Head of Strategy & Procurement at Volkswagen AG, will be discussing trends within the automotive sector as part of a specialist event on the "Digital Car Revolution." The key focal points of the event are set to include e-mobility, digitalization and fully
autonomous driving.

Vienna, Jerusalem, Warsaw – and now at the corporate archives forum at the Wolfsburg plant: visitors to the forum can see the video installation, entitled "6xSally: Perspectives and Identities – A Synoptic Portrait of ‘Hitler Youth Solomon’," from September 13 to November 9.

At the heart of the installation is Sally Perel, born in Peine. He survived the Nazi dictatorship with a hidden identity, and even used one to work in the former Volkswagen plant in Braunschweig as an apprentice. The 93-year-old witness to this period of modern history 
tells the moving story of 
his life for this multi-channel video installation, called "6xSally." Perel, who now lives in Israel, says, "It’s really something special for me to create something artistic in the middle of an automotive factory and that so many people working here would be interested in it."

The new additions to the Bundesliga soccer clubs VfL Wolfsburg, the VfL women’s team and the EHC Wolfsburg ice hockey team recently visited the main Volkswagen plant and were very impressed. After having lunch together at "Oasis," the company restaurant, the one-hour plant tour kicked off from the press shop, taking the visitors through to framing and the body shop to the "high point" in the Golf’s final assembly process in Hall 54. VfL coach Bruno Labbadia clearly enjoyed himself. "It was good for all of us to get a feeling of how the employees work together as a team to build the Golf, Touran and Tiguan," he said.

His players also came away from the plant tour with some lasting impressions. Midfielder Admir Mehmedi said, "It’s impressive to see that so many models are built to such a high quality standard in this huge factory. It’s a real team effort." Anna-Lena Stolze, striker for the formidable VfL women’s team, summed up the occasion by saying, "We were able to get a really good look at the entire production process. I was particularly fascinated by the machines and robots." EHC Managing Director Karl-Heinz Fliegauf added, "This visit was a great opportunity for the team to expand upon the already close relationship between Volkswagen and the Wolfsburg Grizzlys."

The 
Charity Bike Tour benefit, which is open to all Volkswagen employees, their friends and family, is entering 
the next round: the bike tour is being held for the second time at the Wolfsburg location on Saturday, 
September 15. Volunteers
 are also needed for the event to 
serve as marshals for the cyclists, 
to help with the other events on the day and to help set up beforehand and clean up afterwards. Anyone interested in volunteering should send an email to 
charitybiketour.vwag.r.wob@volkswagen.de.

Important info on the event: 
the bike tour will once again run through the plant and northern Wolfsburg. 
It will start at 10 am and the course is around 24 kilometers. An exciting program of events will kick off around 1 pm. The proceeds from this year’s event will go to Haus am Bernsteinsee, a non-
profit organization that provides recreational experiences for families with children suffering from cancer. For more information, please visit the page on the Volkswagen portal under "Your commute."

As of the beginning of August, Ralf Brandstätter is the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Volkswagen brand. In his newly created role, the 49-year-old will manage the business operations of the Volkswagen brand. He will also continue to be in charge of the brand's Procurement Management division as well. “Ralf Brandstätter has outstanding business skills and technical expertise,” says Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen. Brandstätter will “make a vital contribution to advancing the Volkswagen brand.”

The new COO knows Volkswagen from the ground up, having been trained here. In the 1980s, he qualified as a fitter at the Braunschweig plant. He then went on to study industrial engineering before returning to the company – to which he has remained loyal to this day.

On one of his first international business trips as CEO, Herbert Diess traveled to Israel. “Considering the special history it has with our company, it was my desire to visit Israel right at the start of my time as CEO,” says Diess during a meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

During the meeting, a potential collaboration on innovative mobility services was also discussed. Prior to the meeting, Diess visited the Yad Vashem memorial. “It is our responsibility to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive, to remember the victims and to ensure that a catastrophe of this kind is never repeated,” said the CEO.

With a donation of 1.2 million euros, Volkswagen is supporting the work of the International Auschwitz Committee and its cooperation with the International Youth Meeting Center in Oświęcim/Auschwitz and the memorial at Auschwitz-Birkenau. “This contribution will enable us to expand our focus on working with young people at the Youth Meeting Center and working with the memorial to help digitally secure its archive materials,” announced Christoph Heubner, Executive Vice President of the International Auschwitz Committee at the check presentation.

Both the Volkswagen Group and the core Volkswagen car brand increased their revenue, results and return in the first six months of the year.

The Volkswagen Group has continued to grow in the first half of 2018. Both revenue and the operating result were higher than ever before in the company’s history. 5.5 million vehicles sold also constitute a new record best. The half-year result of the Volkswagen brand looks good, too. Like the Group, it also increased its revenue, operating result and margin. The reason for this was the successful SUV campaign, as well as increased productivity in the plants.

The Chancellor seemed impressed when she appeared in front of a group of German and international journalists at the former Berlin Tempelhof airport in July. It was exciting, said Angela Merkel, “to experience autonomous driving in practice.” Previously, Merkel had taken part in a demonstration of various projects in this field by Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW, together with the Chinese State Premier, Li Keqiang. There, Merkel had the chance to take a test drive in the fully electric, self-driven Volkswagen concept vehicle, Sedric, together with Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess. “We went for a little drive and came back in one piece,” said Merkel about the experience.

Li Keqiang was in Germany for German-Chinese consultations. During his state visit, Volkswagen signed several declarations of intent with Chinese partners for cooperation in the fields of e-mobility, connectivity, mobile services and autonomous driving. Key technologies in both countries, for which Merkel sees a fruitful collaboration, will benefit. “Development is in full swing,” said Angela Merkel. “It would be nice if Germany and China were right at the forefront.”

For the third time in a row, Volkswagen has been named “Most Innovative High-volume Brand.” It took additional top places in the “Alternative Drives,” “Autonomous Driving and Safety” and “Conventional Drives” categories. 
The Center of Automotive Management (CAM), an independent research institute, bestows the awards together with the PricewaterhouseCoopers auditing firm.

“The awards honor Volkswagen’s entire global development team. That team works every day toward the serial production of the future,” says Head of Development Frank Welsch. The jury based its decision to declare Volkswagen the most innovative high-volume brand on 62 individual innovations the company developed in 2017. The study referenced ten Volkswagen innovations to justify the award in the “Alternative Drives” category, for example the e-Golf¹ with its significantly increased range.

In the category of “Autonomous Driving and Safety,” the brand confirmed its pioneering role, in particular through the Arteon with its emergency assist system.. The study also highlights the fact that Volkswagen, with seven innovations, earned first place among high-volume brands in the “Conventional Drives” category. One of the innovations that the jury identified as important is the first-ever installation of a gasoline particulate filter in the City Car class in the up! GTI².

¹e-Golf: power consumption in kWh/100 km: 12.7 (combined); CO₂ emissions in g/km: 0 (combined); efficiency class: A+
²up! GTI: fuel consumption in l/100 km (combined) 4.8; CO₂ emissions combined, g/km: 110; efficiency class: C

The “Driving Vizzions to Reality” exhibit will open its doors on July 2 at DRIVE, the Volkswagen Group Forum in Berlin. Through October 14, the exhibit about the brand will address questions regarding mobility for tomorrow in an interactive and easily understandable fashion.

How will Driver Assistance Systems and autonomous driving change traffic? How does the company work on e-mobility? In the exhibit, three studies of the I. D. family will convey an impression of Volkswagen’s answers to the challenges of the future – the I. D. Vizzion, the I. D. Crozz and the Cityskater.

DRIVE is located on “Unter den Linden” street in Berlin and is open daily from 10:00 am to 8 pm.

Vienna, Jerusalem, Warsaw – and now at the corporate archives forum at the Wolfsburg plant: visitors to the forum can see the video installation, entitled "6xSally: Perspectives and Identities – A Synoptic Portrait of ‘Hitler Youth Solomon’," from September 13 to November 9.

At the heart of the installation is Sally Perel, born in Peine. He survived the Nazi dictatorship with a hidden identity, and even used one to work in the former Volkswagen plant in Braunschweig as an apprentice. The 93-year-old witness to this period of modern history 
tells the moving story of 
his life for this multi-channel video installation, called "6xSally." Perel, who now lives in Israel, says, "It’s really something special for me to create something artistic in the middle of an automotive factory and that so many people working here would be interested in it."

The new additions to the Bundesliga soccer clubs VfL Wolfsburg, the VfL women’s team and the EHC Wolfsburg ice hockey team recently visited the main Volkswagen plant and were very impressed. After having lunch together at "Oasis," the company restaurant, the one-hour plant tour kicked off from the press shop, taking the visitors through to framing and the body shop to the "high point" in the Golf’s final assembly process in Hall 54. VfL coach Bruno Labbadia clearly enjoyed himself. "It was good for all of us to get a feeling of how the employees work together as a team to build the Golf, Touran and Tiguan," he said.

His players also came away from the plant tour with some lasting impressions. Midfielder Admir Mehmedi said, "It’s impressive to see that so many models are built to such a high quality standard in this huge factory. It’s a real team effort." Anna-Lena Stolze, striker for the formidable VfL women’s team, summed up the occasion by saying, "We were able to get a really good look at the entire production process. I was particularly fascinated by the machines and robots." EHC Managing Director Karl-Heinz Fliegauf added, "This visit was a great opportunity for the team to expand upon the already close relationship between Volkswagen and the Wolfsburg Grizzlys."

The 
Charity Bike Tour benefit, which is open to all Volkswagen employees, their friends and family, is entering 
the next round: the bike tour is being held for the second time at the Wolfsburg location on Saturday, 
September 15. Volunteers
 are also needed for the event to 
serve as marshals for the cyclists, 
to help with the other events on the day and to help set up beforehand and clean up afterwards. Anyone interested in volunteering should send an email to 
charitybiketour.vwag.r.wob@volkswagen.de.

Important info on the event: 
the bike tour will once again run through the plant and northern Wolfsburg. 
It will start at 10 am and the course is around 24 kilometers. An exciting program of events will kick off around 1 pm. The proceeds from this year’s event will go to Haus am Bernsteinsee, a non-
profit organization that provides recreational experiences for families with children suffering from cancer. For more information, please visit the page on the Volkswagen portal under "Your commute."

As of the beginning of August, Ralf Brandstätter is the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Volkswagen brand. In his newly created role, the 49-year-old will manage the business operations of the Volkswagen brand. He will also continue to be in charge of the brand's Procurement Management division as well. “Ralf Brandstätter has outstanding business skills and technical expertise,” says Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen. Brandstätter will “make a vital contribution to advancing the Volkswagen brand.”

The new COO knows Volkswagen from the ground up, having been trained here. In the 1980s, he qualified as a fitter at the Braunschweig plant. He then went on to study industrial engineering before returning to the company – to which he has remained loyal to this day.

On one of his first international business trips as CEO, Herbert Diess traveled to Israel. “Considering the special history it has with our company, it was my desire to visit Israel right at the start of my time as CEO,” says Diess during a meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

During the meeting, a potential collaboration on innovative mobility services was also discussed. Prior to the meeting, Diess visited the Yad Vashem memorial. “It is our responsibility to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive, to remember the victims and to ensure that a catastrophe of this kind is never repeated,” said the CEO.

With a donation of 1.2 million euros, Volkswagen is supporting the work of the International Auschwitz Committee and its cooperation with the International Youth Meeting Center in Oświęcim/Auschwitz and the memorial at Auschwitz-Birkenau. “This contribution will enable us to expand our focus on working with young people at the Youth Meeting Center and working with the memorial to help digitally secure its archive materials,” announced Christoph Heubner, Executive Vice President of the International Auschwitz Committee at the check presentation.

Both the Volkswagen Group and the core Volkswagen car brand increased their revenue, results and return in the first six months of the year.

The Volkswagen Group has continued to grow in the first half of 2018. Both revenue and the operating result were higher than ever before in the company’s history. 5.5 million vehicles sold also constitute a new record best. The half-year result of the Volkswagen brand looks good, too. Like the Group, it also increased its revenue, operating result and margin. The reason for this was the successful SUV campaign, as well as increased productivity in the plants.

The Chancellor seemed impressed when she appeared in front of a group of German and international journalists at the former Berlin Tempelhof airport in July. It was exciting, said Angela Merkel, “to experience autonomous driving in practice.” Previously, Merkel had taken part in a demonstration of various projects in this field by Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW, together with the Chinese State Premier, Li Keqiang. There, Merkel had the chance to take a test drive in the fully electric, self-driven Volkswagen concept vehicle, Sedric, together with Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess. “We went for a little drive and came back in one piece,” said Merkel about the experience.

Li Keqiang was in Germany for German-Chinese consultations. During his state visit, Volkswagen signed several declarations of intent with Chinese partners for cooperation in the fields of e-mobility, connectivity, mobile services and autonomous driving. Key technologies in both countries, for which Merkel sees a fruitful collaboration, will benefit. “Development is in full swing,” said Angela Merkel. “It would be nice if Germany and China were right at the forefront.”

For the third time in a row, Volkswagen has been named “Most Innovative High-volume Brand.” It took additional top places in the “Alternative Drives,” “Autonomous Driving and Safety” and “Conventional Drives” categories. 
The Center of Automotive Management (CAM), an independent research institute, bestows the awards together with the PricewaterhouseCoopers auditing firm.

“The awards honor Volkswagen’s entire global development team. That team works every day toward the serial production of the future,” says Head of Development Frank Welsch. The jury based its decision to declare Volkswagen the most innovative high-volume brand on 62 individual innovations the company developed in 2017. The study referenced ten Volkswagen innovations to justify the award in the “Alternative Drives” category, for example the e-Golf¹ with its significantly increased range.

In the category of “Autonomous Driving and Safety,” the brand confirmed its pioneering role, in particular through the Arteon with its emergency assist system.. The study also highlights the fact that Volkswagen, with seven innovations, earned first place among high-volume brands in the “Conventional Drives” category. One of the innovations that the jury identified as important is the first-ever installation of a gasoline particulate filter in the City Car class in the up! GTI².

¹e-Golf: power consumption in kWh/100 km: 12.7 (combined); CO₂ emissions in g/km: 0 (combined); efficiency class: A+
²up! GTI: fuel consumption in l/100 km (combined) 4.8; CO₂ emissions combined, g/km: 110; efficiency class: C

The “Driving Vizzions to Reality” exhibit will open its doors on July 2 at DRIVE, the Volkswagen Group Forum in Berlin. Through October 14, the exhibit about the brand will address questions regarding mobility for tomorrow in an interactive and easily understandable fashion.

How will Driver Assistance Systems and autonomous driving change traffic? How does the company work on e-mobility? In the exhibit, three studies of the I. D. family will convey an impression of Volkswagen’s answers to the challenges of the future – the I. D. Vizzion, the I. D. Crozz and the Cityskater.

DRIVE is located on “Unter den Linden” street in Berlin and is open daily from 10:00 am to 8 pm.

Vienna, Jerusalem, Warsaw – and now at the corporate archives forum at the Wolfsburg plant: visitors to the forum can see the video installation, entitled "6xSally: Perspectives and Identities – A Synoptic Portrait of ‘Hitler Youth Solomon’," from September 13 to November 9.

At the heart of the installation is Sally Perel, born in Peine. He survived the Nazi dictatorship with a hidden identity, and even used one to work in the former Volkswagen plant in Braunschweig as an apprentice. The 93-year-old witness to this period of modern history 
tells the moving story of 
his life for this multi-channel video installation, called "6xSally." Perel, who now lives in Israel, says, "It’s really something special for me to create something artistic in the middle of an automotive factory and that so many people working here would be interested in it."

The new additions to the Bundesliga soccer clubs VfL Wolfsburg, the VfL women’s team and the EHC Wolfsburg ice hockey team recently visited the main Volkswagen plant and were very impressed. After having lunch together at "Oasis," the company restaurant, the one-hour plant tour kicked off from the press shop, taking the visitors through to framing and the body shop to the "high point" in the Golf’s final assembly process in Hall 54. VfL coach Bruno Labbadia clearly enjoyed himself. "It was good for all of us to get a feeling of how the employees work together as a team to build the Golf, Touran and Tiguan," he said.

His players also came away from the plant tour with some lasting impressions. Midfielder Admir Mehmedi said, "It’s impressive to see that so many models are built to such a high quality standard in this huge factory. It’s a real team effort." Anna-Lena Stolze, striker for the formidable VfL women’s team, summed up the occasion by saying, "We were able to get a really good look at the entire production process. I was particularly fascinated by the machines and robots." EHC Managing Director Karl-Heinz Fliegauf added, "This visit was a great opportunity for the team to expand upon the already close relationship between Volkswagen and the Wolfsburg Grizzlys."

The 
Charity Bike Tour benefit, which is open to all Volkswagen employees, their friends and family, is entering 
the next round: the bike tour is being held for the second time at the Wolfsburg location on Saturday, 
September 15. Volunteers
 are also needed for the event to 
serve as marshals for the cyclists, 
to help with the other events on the day and to help set up beforehand and clean up afterwards. Anyone interested in volunteering should send an email to 
charitybiketour.vwag.r.wob@volkswagen.de.

Important info on the event: 
the bike tour will once again run through the plant and northern Wolfsburg. 
It will start at 10 am and the course is around 24 kilometers. An exciting program of events will kick off around 1 pm. The proceeds from this year’s event will go to Haus am Bernsteinsee, a non-
profit organization that provides recreational experiences for families with children suffering from cancer. For more information, please visit the page on the Volkswagen portal under "Your commute."

As of the beginning of August, Ralf Brandstätter is the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Volkswagen brand. In his newly created role, the 49-year-old will manage the business operations of the Volkswagen brand. He will also continue to be in charge of the brand's Procurement Management division as well. “Ralf Brandstätter has outstanding business skills and technical expertise,” says Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen. Brandstätter will “make a vital contribution to advancing the Volkswagen brand.”

The new COO knows Volkswagen from the ground up, having been trained here. In the 1980s, he qualified as a fitter at the Braunschweig plant. He then went on to study industrial engineering before returning to the company – to which he has remained loyal to this day.

On one of his first international business trips as CEO, Herbert Diess traveled to Israel. “Considering the special history it has with our company, it was my desire to visit Israel right at the start of my time as CEO,” says Diess during a meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

During the meeting, a potential collaboration on innovative mobility services was also discussed. Prior to the meeting, Diess visited the Yad Vashem memorial. “It is our responsibility to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive, to remember the victims and to ensure that a catastrophe of this kind is never repeated,” said the CEO.

With a donation of 1.2 million euros, Volkswagen is supporting the work of the International Auschwitz Committee and its cooperation with the International Youth Meeting Center in Oświęcim/Auschwitz and the memorial at Auschwitz-Birkenau. “This contribution will enable us to expand our focus on working with young people at the Youth Meeting Center and working with the memorial to help digitally secure its archive materials,” announced Christoph Heubner, Executive Vice President of the International Auschwitz Committee at the check presentation.

Both the Volkswagen Group and the core Volkswagen car brand increased their revenue, results and return in the first six months of the year.

The Volkswagen Group has continued to grow in the first half of 2018. Both revenue and the operating result were higher than ever before in the company’s history. 5.5 million vehicles sold also constitute a new record best. The half-year result of the Volkswagen brand looks good, too. Like the Group, it also increased its revenue, operating result and margin. The reason for this was the successful SUV campaign, as well as increased productivity in the plants.

The Chancellor seemed impressed when she appeared in front of a group of German and international journalists at the former Berlin Tempelhof airport in July. It was exciting, said Angela Merkel, “to experience autonomous driving in practice.” Previously, Merkel had taken part in a demonstration of various projects in this field by Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW, together with the Chinese State Premier, Li Keqiang. There, Merkel had the chance to take a test drive in the fully electric, self-driven Volkswagen concept vehicle, Sedric, together with Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess. “We went for a little drive and came back in one piece,” said Merkel about the experience.

Li Keqiang was in Germany for German-Chinese consultations. During his state visit, Volkswagen signed several declarations of intent with Chinese partners for cooperation in the fields of e-mobility, connectivity, mobile services and autonomous driving. Key technologies in both countries, for which Merkel sees a fruitful collaboration, will benefit. “Development is in full swing,” said Angela Merkel. “It would be nice if Germany and China were right at the forefront.”

For the third time in a row, Volkswagen has been named “Most Innovative High-volume Brand.” It took additional top places in the “Alternative Drives,” “Autonomous Driving and Safety” and “Conventional Drives” categories. 
The Center of Automotive Management (CAM), an independent research institute, bestows the awards together with the PricewaterhouseCoopers auditing firm.

“The awards honor Volkswagen’s entire global development team. That team works every day toward the serial production of the future,” says Head of Development Frank Welsch. The jury based its decision to declare Volkswagen the most innovative high-volume brand on 62 individual innovations the company developed in 2017. The study referenced ten Volkswagen innovations to justify the award in the “Alternative Drives” category, for example the e-Golf¹ with its significantly increased range.

In the category of “Autonomous Driving and Safety,” the brand confirmed its pioneering role, in particular through the Arteon with its emergency assist system.. The study also highlights the fact that Volkswagen, with seven innovations, earned first place among high-volume brands in the “Conventional Drives” category. One of the innovations that the jury identified as important is the first-ever installation of a gasoline particulate filter in the City Car class in the up! GTI².

¹e-Golf: power consumption in kWh/100 km: 12.7 (combined); CO₂ emissions in g/km: 0 (combined); efficiency class: A+
²up! GTI: fuel consumption in l/100 km (combined) 4.8; CO₂ emissions combined, g/km: 110; efficiency class: C

The “Driving Vizzions to Reality” exhibit will open its doors on July 2 at DRIVE, the Volkswagen Group Forum in Berlin. Through October 14, the exhibit about the brand will address questions regarding mobility for tomorrow in an interactive and easily understandable fashion.

How will Driver Assistance Systems and autonomous driving change traffic? How does the company work on e-mobility? In the exhibit, three studies of the I. D. family will convey an impression of Volkswagen’s answers to the challenges of the future – the I. D. Vizzion, the I. D. Crozz and the Cityskater.

DRIVE is located on “Unter den Linden” street in Berlin and is open daily from 10:00 am to 8 pm.

Vienna, Jerusalem, Warsaw – and now at the corporate archives forum at the Wolfsburg plant: visitors to the forum can see the video installation, entitled "6xSally: Perspectives and Identities – A Synoptic Portrait of ‘Hitler Youth Solomon’," from September 13 to November 9.

At the heart of the installation is Sally Perel, born in Peine. He survived the Nazi dictatorship with a hidden identity, and even used one to work in the former Volkswagen plant in Braunschweig as an apprentice. The 93-year-old witness to this period of modern history 
tells the moving story of 
his life for this multi-channel video installation, called "6xSally." Perel, who now lives in Israel, says, "It’s really something special for me to create something artistic in the middle of an automotive factory and that so many people working here would be interested in it."

The new additions to the Bundesliga soccer clubs VfL Wolfsburg, the VfL women’s team and the EHC Wolfsburg ice hockey team recently visited the main Volkswagen plant and were very impressed. After having lunch together at "Oasis," the company restaurant, the one-hour plant tour kicked off from the press shop, taking the visitors through to framing and the body shop to the "high point" in the Golf’s final assembly process in Hall 54. VfL coach Bruno Labbadia clearly enjoyed himself. "It was good for all of us to get a feeling of how the employees work together as a team to build the Golf, Touran and Tiguan," he said.

His players also came away from the plant tour with some lasting impressions. Midfielder Admir Mehmedi said, "It’s impressive to see that so many models are built to such a high quality standard in this huge factory. It’s a real team effort." Anna-Lena Stolze, striker for the formidable VfL women’s team, summed up the occasion by saying, "We were able to get a really good look at the entire production process. I was particularly fascinated by the machines and robots." EHC Managing Director Karl-Heinz Fliegauf added, "This visit was a great opportunity for the team to expand upon the already close relationship between Volkswagen and the Wolfsburg Grizzlys."

The 
Charity Bike Tour benefit, which is open to all Volkswagen employees, their friends and family, is entering 
the next round: the bike tour is being held for the second time at the Wolfsburg location on Saturday, 
September 15. Volunteers
 are also needed for the event to 
serve as marshals for the cyclists, 
to help with the other events on the day and to help set up beforehand and clean up afterwards. Anyone interested in volunteering should send an email to 
charitybiketour.vwag.r.wob@volkswagen.de.

Important info on the event: 
the bike tour will once again run through the plant and northern Wolfsburg. 
It will start at 10 am and the course is around 24 kilometers. An exciting program of events will kick off around 1 pm. The proceeds from this year’s event will go to Haus am Bernsteinsee, a non-
profit organization that provides recreational experiences for families with children suffering from cancer. For more information, please visit the page on the Volkswagen portal under "Your commute."

As of the beginning of August, Ralf Brandstätter is the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Volkswagen brand. In his newly created role, the 49-year-old will manage the business operations of the Volkswagen brand. He will also continue to be in charge of the brand's Procurement Management division as well. “Ralf Brandstätter has outstanding business skills and technical expertise,” says Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen. Brandstätter will “make a vital contribution to advancing the Volkswagen brand.”

The new COO knows Volkswagen from the ground up, having been trained here. In the 1980s, he qualified as a fitter at the Braunschweig plant. He then went on to study industrial engineering before returning to the company – to which he has remained loyal to this day.

On one of his first international business trips as CEO, Herbert Diess traveled to Israel. “Considering the special history it has with our company, it was my desire to visit Israel right at the start of my time as CEO,” says Diess during a meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

During the meeting, a potential collaboration on innovative mobility services was also discussed. Prior to the meeting, Diess visited the Yad Vashem memorial. “It is our responsibility to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive, to remember the victims and to ensure that a catastrophe of this kind is never repeated,” said the CEO.

With a donation of 1.2 million euros, Volkswagen is supporting the work of the International Auschwitz Committee and its cooperation with the International Youth Meeting Center in Oświęcim/Auschwitz and the memorial at Auschwitz-Birkenau. “This contribution will enable us to expand our focus on working with young people at the Youth Meeting Center and working with the memorial to help digitally secure its archive materials,” announced Christoph Heubner, Executive Vice President of the International Auschwitz Committee at the check presentation.

Both the Volkswagen Group and the core Volkswagen car brand increased their revenue, results and return in the first six months of the year.

The Volkswagen Group has continued to grow in the first half of 2018. Both revenue and the operating result were higher than ever before in the company’s history. 5.5 million vehicles sold also constitute a new record best. The half-year result of the Volkswagen brand looks good, too. Like the Group, it also increased its revenue, operating result and margin. The reason for this was the successful SUV campaign, as well as increased productivity in the plants.

The Chancellor seemed impressed when she appeared in front of a group of German and international journalists at the former Berlin Tempelhof airport in July. It was exciting, said Angela Merkel, “to experience autonomous driving in practice.” Previously, Merkel had taken part in a demonstration of various projects in this field by Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW, together with the Chinese State Premier, Li Keqiang. There, Merkel had the chance to take a test drive in the fully electric, self-driven Volkswagen concept vehicle, Sedric, together with Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess. “We went for a little drive and came back in one piece,” said Merkel about the experience.

Li Keqiang was in Germany for German-Chinese consultations. During his state visit, Volkswagen signed several declarations of intent with Chinese partners for cooperation in the fields of e-mobility, connectivity, mobile services and autonomous driving. Key technologies in both countries, for which Merkel sees a fruitful collaboration, will benefit. “Development is in full swing,” said Angela Merkel. “It would be nice if Germany and China were right at the forefront.”

For the third time in a row, Volkswagen has been named “Most Innovative High-volume Brand.” It took additional top places in the “Alternative Drives,” “Autonomous Driving and Safety” and “Conventional Drives” categories. 
The Center of Automotive Management (CAM), an independent research institute, bestows the awards together with the PricewaterhouseCoopers auditing firm.

“The awards honor Volkswagen’s entire global development team. That team works every day toward the serial production of the future,” says Head of Development Frank Welsch. The jury based its decision to declare Volkswagen the most innovative high-volume brand on 62 individual innovations the company developed in 2017. The study referenced ten Volkswagen innovations to justify the award in the “Alternative Drives” category, for example the e-Golf¹ with its significantly increased range.

In the category of “Autonomous Driving and Safety,” the brand confirmed its pioneering role, in particular through the Arteon with its emergency assist system.. The study also highlights the fact that Volkswagen, with seven innovations, earned first place among high-volume brands in the “Conventional Drives” category. One of the innovations that the jury identified as important is the first-ever installation of a gasoline particulate filter in the City Car class in the up! GTI².

¹e-Golf: power consumption in kWh/100 km: 12.7 (combined); CO₂ emissions in g/km: 0 (combined); efficiency class: A+
²up! GTI: fuel consumption in l/100 km (combined) 4.8; CO₂ emissions combined, g/km: 110; efficiency class: C

The “Driving Vizzions to Reality” exhibit will open its doors on July 2 at DRIVE, the Volkswagen Group Forum in Berlin. Through October 14, the exhibit about the brand will address questions regarding mobility for tomorrow in an interactive and easily understandable fashion.

How will Driver Assistance Systems and autonomous driving change traffic? How does the company work on e-mobility? In the exhibit, three studies of the I. D. family will convey an impression of Volkswagen’s answers to the challenges of the future – the I. D. Vizzion, the I. D. Crozz and the Cityskater.

DRIVE is located on “Unter den Linden” street in Berlin and is open daily from 10:00 am to 8 pm.

Vienna, Jerusalem, Warsaw – and now at the corporate archives forum at the Wolfsburg plant: visitors to the forum can see the video installation, entitled "6xSally: Perspectives and Identities – A Synoptic Portrait of ‘Hitler Youth Solomon’," from September 13 to November 9.

At the heart of the installation is Sally Perel, born in Peine. He survived the Nazi dictatorship with a hidden identity, and even used one to work in the former Volkswagen plant in Braunschweig as an apprentice. The 93-year-old witness to this period of modern history 
tells the moving story of 
his life for this multi-channel video installation, called "6xSally." Perel, who now lives in Israel, says, "It’s really something special for me to create something artistic in the middle of an automotive factory and that so many people working here would be interested in it."

The new additions to the Bundesliga soccer clubs VfL Wolfsburg, the VfL women’s team and the EHC Wolfsburg ice hockey team recently visited the main Volkswagen plant and were very impressed. After having lunch together at "Oasis," the company restaurant, the one-hour plant tour kicked off from the press shop, taking the visitors through to framing and the body shop to the "high point" in the Golf’s final assembly process in Hall 54. VfL coach Bruno Labbadia clearly enjoyed himself. "It was good for all of us to get a feeling of how the employees work together as a team to build the Golf, Touran and Tiguan," he said.

His players also came away from the plant tour with some lasting impressions. Midfielder Admir Mehmedi said, "It’s impressive to see that so many models are built to such a high quality standard in this huge factory. It’s a real team effort." Anna-Lena Stolze, striker for the formidable VfL women’s team, summed up the occasion by saying, "We were able to get a really good look at the entire production process. I was particularly fascinated by the machines and robots." EHC Managing Director Karl-Heinz Fliegauf added, "This visit was a great opportunity for the team to expand upon the already close relationship between Volkswagen and the Wolfsburg Grizzlys."

The 
Charity Bike Tour benefit, which is open to all Volkswagen employees, their friends and family, is entering 
the next round: the bike tour is being held for the second time at the Wolfsburg location on Saturday, 
September 15. Volunteers
 are also needed for the event to 
serve as marshals for the cyclists, 
to help with the other events on the day and to help set up beforehand and clean up afterwards. Anyone interested in volunteering should send an email to 
charitybiketour.vwag.r.wob@volkswagen.de.

Important info on the event: 
the bike tour will once again run through the plant and northern Wolfsburg. 
It will start at 10 am and the course is around 24 kilometers. An exciting program of events will kick off around 1 pm. The proceeds from this year’s event will go to Haus am Bernsteinsee, a non-
profit organization that provides recreational experiences for families with children suffering from cancer. For more information, please visit the page on the Volkswagen portal under "Your commute."

As of the beginning of August, Ralf Brandstätter is the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Volkswagen brand. In his newly created role, the 49-year-old will manage the business operations of the Volkswagen brand. He will also continue to be in charge of the brand's Procurement Management division as well. “Ralf Brandstätter has outstanding business skills and technical expertise,” says Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen. Brandstätter will “make a vital contribution to advancing the Volkswagen brand.”

The new COO knows Volkswagen from the ground up, having been trained here. In the 1980s, he qualified as a fitter at the Braunschweig plant. He then went on to study industrial engineering before returning to the company – to which he has remained loyal to this day.

On one of his first international business trips as CEO, Herbert Diess traveled to Israel. “Considering the special history it has with our company, it was my desire to visit Israel right at the start of my time as CEO,” says Diess during a meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

During the meeting, a potential collaboration on innovative mobility services was also discussed. Prior to the meeting, Diess visited the Yad Vashem memorial. “It is our responsibility to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive, to remember the victims and to ensure that a catastrophe of this kind is never repeated,” said the CEO.

With a donation of 1.2 million euros, Volkswagen is supporting the work of the International Auschwitz Committee and its cooperation with the International Youth Meeting Center in Oświęcim/Auschwitz and the memorial at Auschwitz-Birkenau. “This contribution will enable us to expand our focus on working with young people at the Youth Meeting Center and working with the memorial to help digitally secure its archive materials,” announced Christoph Heubner, Executive Vice President of the International Auschwitz Committee at the check presentation.

Both the Volkswagen Group and the core Volkswagen car brand increased their revenue, results and return in the first six months of the year.

The Volkswagen Group has continued to grow in the first half of 2018. Both revenue and the operating result were higher than ever before in the company’s history. 5.5 million vehicles sold also constitute a new record best. The half-year result of the Volkswagen brand looks good, too. Like the Group, it also increased its revenue, operating result and margin. The reason for this was the successful SUV campaign, as well as increased productivity in the plants.

The Chancellor seemed impressed when she appeared in front of a group of German and international journalists at the former Berlin Tempelhof airport in July. It was exciting, said Angela Merkel, “to experience autonomous driving in practice.” Previously, Merkel had taken part in a demonstration of various projects in this field by Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW, together with the Chinese State Premier, Li Keqiang. There, Merkel had the chance to take a test drive in the fully electric, self-driven Volkswagen concept vehicle, Sedric, together with Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess. “We went for a little drive and came back in one piece,” said Merkel about the experience.

Li Keqiang was in Germany for German-Chinese consultations. During his state visit, Volkswagen signed several declarations of intent with Chinese partners for cooperation in the fields of e-mobility, connectivity, mobile services and autonomous driving. Key technologies in both countries, for which Merkel sees a fruitful collaboration, will benefit. “Development is in full swing,” said Angela Merkel. “It would be nice if Germany and China were right at the forefront.”

For the third time in a row, Volkswagen has been named “Most Innovative High-volume Brand.” It took additional top places in the “Alternative Drives,” “Autonomous Driving and Safety” and “Conventional Drives” categories. 
The Center of Automotive Management (CAM), an independent research institute, bestows the awards together with the PricewaterhouseCoopers auditing firm.

“The awards honor Volkswagen’s entire global development team. That team works every day toward the serial production of the future,” says Head of Development Frank Welsch. The jury based its decision to declare Volkswagen the most innovative high-volume brand on 62 individual innovations the company developed in 2017. The study referenced ten Volkswagen innovations to justify the award in the “Alternative Drives” category, for example the e-Golf¹ with its significantly increased range.

In the category of “Autonomous Driving and Safety,” the brand confirmed its pioneering role, in particular through the Arteon with its emergency assist system.. The study also highlights the fact that Volkswagen, with seven innovations, earned first place among high-volume brands in the “Conventional Drives” category. One of the innovations that the jury identified as important is the first-ever installation of a gasoline particulate filter in the City Car class in the up! GTI².

¹e-Golf: power consumption in kWh/100 km: 12.7 (combined); CO₂ emissions in g/km: 0 (combined); efficiency class: A+
²up! GTI: fuel consumption in l/100 km (combined) 4.8; CO₂ emissions combined, g/km: 110; efficiency class: C

The “Driving Vizzions to Reality” exhibit will open its doors on July 2 at DRIVE, the Volkswagen Group Forum in Berlin. Through October 14, the exhibit about the brand will address questions regarding mobility for tomorrow in an interactive and easily understandable fashion.

How will Driver Assistance Systems and autonomous driving change traffic? How does the company work on e-mobility? In the exhibit, three studies of the I. D. family will convey an impression of Volkswagen’s answers to the challenges of the future – the I. D. Vizzion, the I. D. Crozz and the Cityskater.

DRIVE is located on “Unter den Linden” street in Berlin and is open daily from 10:00 am to 8 pm.

Vienna, Jerusalem, Warsaw – and now at the corporate archives forum at the Wolfsburg plant: visitors to the forum can see the video installation, entitled "6xSally: Perspectives and Identities – A Synoptic Portrait of ‘Hitler Youth Solomon’," from September 13 to November 9.

At the heart of the installation is Sally Perel, born in Peine. He survived the Nazi dictatorship with a hidden identity, and even used one to work in the former Volkswagen plant in Braunschweig as an apprentice. The 93-year-old witness to this period of modern history 
tells the moving story of 
his life for this multi-channel video installation, called "6xSally." Perel, who now lives in Israel, says, "It’s really something special for me to create something artistic in the middle of an automotive factory and that so many people working here would be interested in it."

The new additions to the Bundesliga soccer clubs VfL Wolfsburg, the VfL women’s team and the EHC Wolfsburg ice hockey team recently visited the main Volkswagen plant and were very impressed. After having lunch together at "Oasis," the company restaurant, the one-hour plant tour kicked off from the press shop, taking the visitors through to framing and the body shop to the "high point" in the Golf’s final assembly process in Hall 54. VfL coach Bruno Labbadia clearly enjoyed himself. "It was good for all of us to get a feeling of how the employees work together as a team to build the Golf, Touran and Tiguan," he said.

His players also came away from the plant tour with some lasting impressions. Midfielder Admir Mehmedi said, "It’s impressive to see that so many models are built to such a high quality standard in this huge factory. It’s a real team effort." Anna-Lena Stolze, striker for the formidable VfL women’s team, summed up the occasion by saying, "We were able to get a really good look at the entire production process. I was particularly fascinated by the machines and robots." EHC Managing Director Karl-Heinz Fliegauf added, "This visit was a great opportunity for the team to expand upon the already close relationship between Volkswagen and the Wolfsburg Grizzlys."

The 
Charity Bike Tour benefit, which is open to all Volkswagen employees, their friends and family, is entering 
the next round: the bike tour is being held for the second time at the Wolfsburg location on Saturday, 
September 15. Volunteers
 are also needed for the event to 
serve as marshals for the cyclists, 
to help with the other events on the day and to help set up beforehand and clean up afterwards. Anyone interested in volunteering should send an email to 
charitybiketour.vwag.r.wob@volkswagen.de.

Important info on the event: 
the bike tour will once again run through the plant and northern Wolfsburg. 
It will start at 10 am and the course is around 24 kilometers. An exciting program of events will kick off around 1 pm. The proceeds from this year’s event will go to Haus am Bernsteinsee, a non-
profit organization that provides recreational experiences for families with children suffering from cancer. For more information, please visit the page on the Volkswagen portal under "Your commute."

As of the beginning of August, Ralf Brandstätter is the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Volkswagen brand. In his newly created role, the 49-year-old will manage the business operations of the Volkswagen brand. He will also continue to be in charge of the brand's Procurement Management division as well. “Ralf Brandstätter has outstanding business skills and technical expertise,” says Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen. Brandstätter will “make a vital contribution to advancing the Volkswagen brand.”

The new COO knows Volkswagen from the ground up, having been trained here. In the 1980s, he qualified as a fitter at the Braunschweig plant. He then went on to study industrial engineering before returning to the company – to which he has remained loyal to this day.

On one of his first international business trips as CEO, Herbert Diess traveled to Israel. “Considering the special history it has with our company, it was my desire to visit Israel right at the start of my time as CEO,” says Diess during a meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

During the meeting, a potential collaboration on innovative mobility services was also discussed. Prior to the meeting, Diess visited the Yad Vashem memorial. “It is our responsibility to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive, to remember the victims and to ensure that a catastrophe of this kind is never repeated,” said the CEO.

With a donation of 1.2 million euros, Volkswagen is supporting the work of the International Auschwitz Committee and its cooperation with the International Youth Meeting Center in Oświęcim/Auschwitz and the memorial at Auschwitz-Birkenau. “This contribution will enable us to expand our focus on working with young people at the Youth Meeting Center and working with the memorial to help digitally secure its archive materials,” announced Christoph Heubner, Executive Vice President of the International Auschwitz Committee at the check presentation.

Both the Volkswagen Group and the core Volkswagen car brand increased their revenue, results and return in the first six months of the year.

The Volkswagen Group has continued to grow in the first half of 2018. Both revenue and the operating result were higher than ever before in the company’s history. 5.5 million vehicles sold also constitute a new record best. The half-year result of the Volkswagen brand looks good, too. Like the Group, it also increased its revenue, operating result and margin. The reason for this was the successful SUV campaign, as well as increased productivity in the plants.

The Chancellor seemed impressed when she appeared in front of a group of German and international journalists at the former Berlin Tempelhof airport in July. It was exciting, said Angela Merkel, “to experience autonomous driving in practice.” Previously, Merkel had taken part in a demonstration of various projects in this field by Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW, together with the Chinese State Premier, Li Keqiang. There, Merkel had the chance to take a test drive in the fully electric, self-driven Volkswagen concept vehicle, Sedric, together with Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess. “We went for a little drive and came back in one piece,” said Merkel about the experience.

Li Keqiang was in Germany for German-Chinese consultations. During his state visit, Volkswagen signed several declarations of intent with Chinese partners for cooperation in the fields of e-mobility, connectivity, mobile services and autonomous driving. Key technologies in both countries, for which Merkel sees a fruitful collaboration, will benefit. “Development is in full swing,” said Angela Merkel. “It would be nice if Germany and China were right at the forefront.”

For the third time in a row, Volkswagen has been named “Most Innovative High-volume Brand.” It took additional top places in the “Alternative Drives,” “Autonomous Driving and Safety” and “Conventional Drives” categories. 
The Center of Automotive Management (CAM), an independent research institute, bestows the awards together with the PricewaterhouseCoopers auditing firm.

“The awards honor Volkswagen’s entire global development team. That team works every day toward the serial production of the future,” says Head of Development Frank Welsch. The jury based its decision to declare Volkswagen the most innovative high-volume brand on 62 individual innovations the company developed in 2017. The study referenced ten Volkswagen innovations to justify the award in the “Alternative Drives” category, for example the e-Golf¹ with its significantly increased range.

In the category of “Autonomous Driving and Safety,” the brand confirmed its pioneering role, in particular through the Arteon with its emergency assist system.. The study also highlights the fact that Volkswagen, with seven innovations, earned first place among high-volume brands in the “Conventional Drives” category. One of the innovations that the jury identified as important is the first-ever installation of a gasoline particulate filter in the City Car class in the up! GTI².

¹e-Golf: power consumption in kWh/100 km: 12.7 (combined); CO₂ emissions in g/km: 0 (combined); efficiency class: A+
²up! GTI: fuel consumption in l/100 km (combined) 4.8; CO₂ emissions combined, g/km: 110; efficiency class: C

The “Driving Vizzions to Reality” exhibit will open its doors on July 2 at DRIVE, the Volkswagen Group Forum in Berlin. Through October 14, the exhibit about the brand will address questions regarding mobility for tomorrow in an interactive and easily understandable fashion.

How will Driver Assistance Systems and autonomous driving change traffic? How does the company work on e-mobility? In the exhibit, three studies of the I. D. family will convey an impression of Volkswagen’s answers to the challenges of the future – the I. D. Vizzion, the I. D. Crozz and the Cityskater.

DRIVE is located on “Unter den Linden” street in Berlin and is open daily from 10:00 am to 8 pm.

Vienna, Jerusalem, Warsaw – and now at the corporate archives forum at the Wolfsburg plant: visitors to the forum can see the video installation, entitled "6xSally: Perspectives and Identities – A Synoptic Portrait of ‘Hitler Youth Solomon’," from September 13 to November 9.

At the heart of the installation is Sally Perel, born in Peine. He survived the Nazi dictatorship with a hidden identity, and even used one to work in the former Volkswagen plant in Braunschweig as an apprentice. The 93-year-old witness to this period of modern history 
tells the moving story of 
his life for this multi-channel video installation, called "6xSally." Perel, who now lives in Israel, says, "It’s really something special for me to create something artistic in the middle of an automotive factory and that so many people working here would be interested in it."

The new additions to the Bundesliga soccer clubs VfL Wolfsburg, the VfL women’s team and the EHC Wolfsburg ice hockey team recently visited the main Volkswagen plant and were very impressed. After having lunch together at "Oasis," the company restaurant, the one-hour plant tour kicked off from the press shop, taking the visitors through to framing and the body shop to the "high point" in the Golf’s final assembly process in Hall 54. VfL coach Bruno Labbadia clearly enjoyed himself. "It was good for all of us to get a feeling of how the employees work together as a team to build the Golf, Touran and Tiguan," he said.

His players also came away from the plant tour with some lasting impressions. Midfielder Admir Mehmedi said, "It’s impressive to see that so many models are built to such a high quality standard in this huge factory. It’s a real team effort." Anna-Lena Stolze, striker for the formidable VfL women’s team, summed up the occasion by saying, "We were able to get a really good look at the entire production process. I was particularly fascinated by the machines and robots." EHC Managing Director Karl-Heinz Fliegauf added, "This visit was a great opportunity for the team to expand upon the already close relationship between Volkswagen and the Wolfsburg Grizzlys."

The 
Charity Bike Tour benefit, which is open to all Volkswagen employees, their friends and family, is entering 
the next round: the bike tour is being held for the second time at the Wolfsburg location on Saturday, 
September 15. Volunteers
 are also needed for the event to 
serve as marshals for the cyclists, 
to help with the other events on the day and to help set up beforehand and clean up afterwards. Anyone interested in volunteering should send an email to 
charitybiketour.vwag.r.wob@volkswagen.de.

Important info on the event: 
the bike tour will once again run through the plant and northern Wolfsburg. 
It will start at 10 am and the course is around 24 kilometers. An exciting program of events will kick off around 1 pm. The proceeds from this year’s event will go to Haus am Bernsteinsee, a non-
profit organization that provides recreational experiences for families with children suffering from cancer. For more information, please visit the page on the Volkswagen portal under "Your commute."

As of the beginning of August, Ralf Brandstätter is the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Volkswagen brand. In his newly created role, the 49-year-old will manage the business operations of the Volkswagen brand. He will also continue to be in charge of the brand's Procurement Management division as well. “Ralf Brandstätter has outstanding business skills and technical expertise,” says Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen. Brandstätter will “make a vital contribution to advancing the Volkswagen brand.”

The new COO knows Volkswagen from the ground up, having been trained here. In the 1980s, he qualified as a fitter at the Braunschweig plant. He then went on to study industrial engineering before returning to the company – to which he has remained loyal to this day.

On one of his first international business trips as CEO, Herbert Diess traveled to Israel. “Considering the special history it has with our company, it was my desire to visit Israel right at the start of my time as CEO,” says Diess during a meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

During the meeting, a potential collaboration on innovative mobility services was also discussed. Prior to the meeting, Diess visited the Yad Vashem memorial. “It is our responsibility to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive, to remember the victims and to ensure that a catastrophe of this kind is never repeated,” said the CEO.

With a donation of 1.2 million euros, Volkswagen is supporting the work of the International Auschwitz Committee and its cooperation with the International Youth Meeting Center in Oświęcim/Auschwitz and the memorial at Auschwitz-Birkenau. “This contribution will enable us to expand our focus on working with young people at the Youth Meeting Center and working with the memorial to help digitally secure its archive materials,” announced Christoph Heubner, Executive Vice President of the International Auschwitz Committee at the check presentation.

Both the Volkswagen Group and the core Volkswagen car brand increased their revenue, results and return in the first six months of the year.

The Volkswagen Group has continued to grow in the first half of 2018. Both revenue and the operating result were higher than ever before in the company’s history. 5.5 million vehicles sold also constitute a new record best. The half-year result of the Volkswagen brand looks good, too. Like the Group, it also increased its revenue, operating result and margin. The reason for this was the successful SUV campaign, as well as increased productivity in the plants.

The Chancellor seemed impressed when she appeared in front of a group of German and international journalists at the former Berlin Tempelhof airport in July. It was exciting, said Angela Merkel, “to experience autonomous driving in practice.” Previously, Merkel had taken part in a demonstration of various projects in this field by Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW, together with the Chinese State Premier, Li Keqiang. There, Merkel had the chance to take a test drive in the fully electric, self-driven Volkswagen concept vehicle, Sedric, together with Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess. “We went for a little drive and came back in one piece,” said Merkel about the experience.

Li Keqiang was in Germany for German-Chinese consultations. During his state visit, Volkswagen signed several declarations of intent with Chinese partners for cooperation in the fields of e-mobility, connectivity, mobile services and autonomous driving. Key technologies in both countries, for which Merkel sees a fruitful collaboration, will benefit. “Development is in full swing,” said Angela Merkel. “It would be nice if Germany and China were right at the forefront.”

For the third time in a row, Volkswagen has been named “Most Innovative High-volume Brand.” It took additional top places in the “Alternative Drives,” “Autonomous Driving and Safety” and “Conventional Drives” categories. 
The Center of Automotive Management (CAM), an independent research institute, bestows the awards together with the PricewaterhouseCoopers auditing firm.

“The awards honor Volkswagen’s entire global development team. That team works every day toward the serial production of the future,” says Head of Development Frank Welsch. The jury based its decision to declare Volkswagen the most innovative high-volume brand on 62 individual innovations the company developed in 2017. The study referenced ten Volkswagen innovations to justify the award in the “Alternative Drives” category, for example the e-Golf¹ with its significantly increased range.

In the category of “Autonomous Driving and Safety,” the brand confirmed its pioneering role, in particular through the Arteon with its emergency assist system.. The study also highlights the fact that Volkswagen, with seven innovations, earned first place among high-volume brands in the “Conventional Drives” category. One of the innovations that the jury identified as important is the first-ever installation of a gasoline particulate filter in the City Car class in the up! GTI².

¹e-Golf: power consumption in kWh/100 km: 12.7 (combined); CO₂ emissions in g/km: 0 (combined); efficiency class: A+
²up! GTI: fuel consumption in l/100 km (combined) 4.8; CO₂ emissions combined, g/km: 110; efficiency class: C

The “Driving Vizzions to Reality” exhibit will open its doors on July 2 at DRIVE, the Volkswagen Group Forum in Berlin. Through October 14, the exhibit about the brand will address questions regarding mobility for tomorrow in an interactive and easily understandable fashion.

How will Driver Assistance Systems and autonomous driving change traffic? How does the company work on e-mobility? In the exhibit, three studies of the I. D. family will convey an impression of Volkswagen’s answers to the challenges of the future – the I. D. Vizzion, the I. D. Crozz and the Cityskater.

DRIVE is located on “Unter den Linden” street in Berlin and is open daily from 10:00 am to 8 pm.

Vienna, Jerusalem, Warsaw – and now at the corporate archives forum at the Wolfsburg plant: visitors to the forum can see the video installation, entitled "6xSally: Perspectives and Identities – A Synoptic Portrait of ‘Hitler Youth Solomon’," from September 13 to November 9.

At the heart of the installation is Sally Perel, born in Peine. He survived the Nazi dictatorship with a hidden identity, and even used one to work in the former Volkswagen plant in Braunschweig as an apprentice. The 93-year-old witness to this period of modern history 
tells the moving story of 
his life for this multi-channel video installation, called "6xSally." Perel, who now lives in Israel, says, "It’s really something special for me to create something artistic in the middle of an automotive factory and that so many people working here would be interested in it."

The new additions to the Bundesliga soccer clubs VfL Wolfsburg, the VfL women’s team and the EHC Wolfsburg ice hockey team recently visited the main Volkswagen plant and were very impressed. After having lunch together at "Oasis," the company restaurant, the one-hour plant tour kicked off from the press shop, taking the visitors through to framing and the body shop to the "high point" in the Golf’s final assembly process in Hall 54. VfL coach Bruno Labbadia clearly enjoyed himself. "It was good for all of us to get a feeling of how the employees work together as a team to build the Golf, Touran and Tiguan," he said.

His players also came away from the plant tour with some lasting impressions. Midfielder Admir Mehmedi said, "It’s impressive to see that so many models are built to such a high quality standard in this huge factory. It’s a real team effort." Anna-Lena Stolze, striker for the formidable VfL women’s team, summed up the occasion by saying, "We were able to get a really good look at the entire production process. I was particularly fascinated by the machines and robots." EHC Managing Director Karl-Heinz Fliegauf added, "This visit was a great opportunity for the team to expand upon the already close relationship between Volkswagen and the Wolfsburg Grizzlys."

The 
Charity Bike Tour benefit, which is open to all Volkswagen employees, their friends and family, is entering 
the next round: the bike tour is being held for the second time at the Wolfsburg location on Saturday, 
September 15. Volunteers
 are also needed for the event to 
serve as marshals for the cyclists, 
to help with the other events on the day and to help set up beforehand and clean up afterwards. Anyone interested in volunteering should send an email to 
charitybiketour.vwag.r.wob@volkswagen.de.

Important info on the event: 
the bike tour will once again run through the plant and northern Wolfsburg. 
It will start at 10 am and the course is around 24 kilometers. An exciting program of events will kick off around 1 pm. The proceeds from this year’s event will go to Haus am Bernsteinsee, a non-
profit organization that provides recreational experiences for families with children suffering from cancer. For more information, please visit the page on the Volkswagen portal under "Your commute."

As of the beginning of August, Ralf Brandstätter is the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Volkswagen brand. In his newly created role, the 49-year-old will manage the business operations of the Volkswagen brand. He will also continue to be in charge of the brand's Procurement Management division as well. “Ralf Brandstätter has outstanding business skills and technical expertise,” says Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen. Brandstätter will “make a vital contribution to advancing the Volkswagen brand.”

The new COO knows Volkswagen from the ground up, having been trained here. In the 1980s, he qualified as a fitter at the Braunschweig plant. He then went on to study industrial engineering before returning to the company – to which he has remained loyal to this day.

On one of his first international business trips as CEO, Herbert Diess traveled to Israel. “Considering the special history it has with our company, it was my desire to visit Israel right at the start of my time as CEO,” says Diess during a meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

During the meeting, a potential collaboration on innovative mobility services was also discussed. Prior to the meeting, Diess visited the Yad Vashem memorial. “It is our responsibility to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive, to remember the victims and to ensure that a catastrophe of this kind is never repeated,” said the CEO.

With a donation of 1.2 million euros, Volkswagen is supporting the work of the International Auschwitz Committee and its cooperation with the International Youth Meeting Center in Oświęcim/Auschwitz and the memorial at Auschwitz-Birkenau. “This contribution will enable us to expand our focus on working with young people at the Youth Meeting Center and working with the memorial to help digitally secure its archive materials,” announced Christoph Heubner, Executive Vice President of the International Auschwitz Committee at the check presentation.

Both the Volkswagen Group and the core Volkswagen car brand increased their revenue, results and return in the first six months of the year.

The Volkswagen Group has continued to grow in the first half of 2018. Both revenue and the operating result were higher than ever before in the company’s history. 5.5 million vehicles sold also constitute a new record best. The half-year result of the Volkswagen brand looks good, too. Like the Group, it also increased its revenue, operating result and margin. The reason for this was the successful SUV campaign, as well as increased productivity in the plants.

The Chancellor seemed impressed when she appeared in front of a group of German and international journalists at the former Berlin Tempelhof airport in July. It was exciting, said Angela Merkel, “to experience autonomous driving in practice.” Previously, Merkel had taken part in a demonstration of various projects in this field by Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW, together with the Chinese State Premier, Li Keqiang. There, Merkel had the chance to take a test drive in the fully electric, self-driven Volkswagen concept vehicle, Sedric, together with Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess. “We went for a little drive and came back in one piece,” said Merkel about the experience.

Li Keqiang was in Germany for German-Chinese consultations. During his state visit, Volkswagen signed several declarations of intent with Chinese partners for cooperation in the fields of e-mobility, connectivity, mobile services and autonomous driving. Key technologies in both countries, for which Merkel sees a fruitful collaboration, will benefit. “Development is in full swing,” said Angela Merkel. “It would be nice if Germany and China were right at the forefront.”

For the third time in a row, Volkswagen has been named “Most Innovative High-volume Brand.” It took additional top places in the “Alternative Drives,” “Autonomous Driving and Safety” and “Conventional Drives” categories. 
The Center of Automotive Management (CAM), an independent research institute, bestows the awards together with the PricewaterhouseCoopers auditing firm.

“The awards honor Volkswagen’s entire global development team. That team works every day toward the serial production of the future,” says Head of Development Frank Welsch. The jury based its decision to declare Volkswagen the most innovative high-volume brand on 62 individual innovations the company developed in 2017. The study referenced ten Volkswagen innovations to justify the award in the “Alternative Drives” category, for example the e-Golf¹ with its significantly increased range.

In the category of “Autonomous Driving and Safety,” the brand confirmed its pioneering role, in particular through the Arteon with its emergency assist system.. The study also highlights the fact that Volkswagen, with seven innovations, earned first place among high-volume brands in the “Conventional Drives” category. One of the innovations that the jury identified as important is the first-ever installation of a gasoline particulate filter in the City Car class in the up! GTI².

¹e-Golf: power consumption in kWh/100 km: 12.7 (combined); CO₂ emissions in g/km: 0 (combined); efficiency class: A+
²up! GTI: fuel consumption in l/100 km (combined) 4.8; CO₂ emissions combined, g/km: 110; efficiency class: C

The “Driving Vizzions to Reality” exhibit will open its doors on July 2 at DRIVE, the Volkswagen Group Forum in Berlin. Through October 14, the exhibit about the brand will address questions regarding mobility for tomorrow in an interactive and easily understandable fashion.

How will Driver Assistance Systems and autonomous driving change traffic? How does the company work on e-mobility? In the exhibit, three studies of the I. D. family will convey an impression of Volkswagen’s answers to the challenges of the future – the I. D. Vizzion, the I. D. Crozz and the Cityskater.

DRIVE is located on “Unter den Linden” street in Berlin and is open daily from 10:00 am to 8 pm.

Vienna, Jerusalem, Warsaw – and now at the corporate archives forum at the Wolfsburg plant: visitors to the forum can see the video installation, entitled "6xSally: Perspectives and Identities – A Synoptic Portrait of ‘Hitler Youth Solomon’," from September 13 to November 9.

At the heart of the installation is Sally Perel, born in Peine. He survived the Nazi dictatorship with a hidden identity, and even used one to work in the former Volkswagen plant in Braunschweig as an apprentice. The 93-year-old witness to this period of modern history 
tells the moving story of 
his life for this multi-channel video installation, called "6xSally." Perel, who now lives in Israel, says, "It’s really something special for me to create something artistic in the middle of an automotive factory and that so many people working here would be interested in it."

The new additions to the Bundesliga soccer clubs VfL Wolfsburg, the VfL women’s team and the EHC Wolfsburg ice hockey team recently visited the main Volkswagen plant and were very impressed. After having lunch together at "Oasis," the company restaurant, the one-hour plant tour kicked off from the press shop, taking the visitors through to framing and the body shop to the "high point" in the Golf’s final assembly process in Hall 54. VfL coach Bruno Labbadia clearly enjoyed himself. "It was good for all of us to get a feeling of how the employees work together as a team to build the Golf, Touran and Tiguan," he said.

His players also came away from the plant tour with some lasting impressions. Midfielder Admir Mehmedi said, "It’s impressive to see that so many models are built to such a high quality standard in this huge factory. It’s a real team effort." Anna-Lena Stolze, striker for the formidable VfL women’s team, summed up the occasion by saying, "We were able to get a really good look at the entire production process. I was particularly fascinated by the machines and robots." EHC Managing Director Karl-Heinz Fliegauf added, "This visit was a great opportunity for the team to expand upon the already close relationship between Volkswagen and the Wolfsburg Grizzlys."

The 
Charity Bike Tour benefit, which is open to all Volkswagen employees, their friends and family, is entering 
the next round: the bike tour is being held for the second time at the Wolfsburg location on Saturday, 
September 15. Volunteers
 are also needed for the event to 
serve as marshals for the cyclists, 
to help with the other events on the day and to help set up beforehand and clean up afterwards. Anyone interested in volunteering should send an email to 
charitybiketour.vwag.r.wob@volkswagen.de.

Important info on the event: 
the bike tour will once again run through the plant and northern Wolfsburg. 
It will start at 10 am and the course is around 24 kilometers. An exciting program of events will kick off around 1 pm. The proceeds from this year’s event will go to Haus am Bernsteinsee, a non-
profit organization that provides recreational experiences for families with children suffering from cancer. For more information, please visit the page on the Volkswagen portal under "Your commute."

As of the beginning of August, Ralf Brandstätter is the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Volkswagen brand. In his newly created role, the 49-year-old will manage the business operations of the Volkswagen brand. He will also continue to be in charge of the brand's Procurement Management division as well. “Ralf Brandstätter has outstanding business skills and technical expertise,” says Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen. Brandstätter will “make a vital contribution to advancing the Volkswagen brand.”

The new COO knows Volkswagen from the ground up, having been trained here. In the 1980s, he qualified as a fitter at the Braunschweig plant. He then went on to study industrial engineering before returning to the company – to which he has remained loyal to this day.

On one of his first international business trips as CEO, Herbert Diess traveled to Israel. “Considering the special history it has with our company, it was my desire to visit Israel right at the start of my time as CEO,” says Diess during a meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

During the meeting, a potential collaboration on innovative mobility services was also discussed. Prior to the meeting, Diess visited the Yad Vashem memorial. “It is our responsibility to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive, to remember the victims and to ensure that a catastrophe of this kind is never repeated,” said the CEO.

With a donation of 1.2 million euros, Volkswagen is supporting the work of the International Auschwitz Committee and its cooperation with the International Youth Meeting Center in Oświęcim/Auschwitz and the memorial at Auschwitz-Birkenau. “This contribution will enable us to expand our focus on working with young people at the Youth Meeting Center and working with the memorial to help digitally secure its archive materials,” announced Christoph Heubner, Executive Vice President of the International Auschwitz Committee at the check presentation.

Both the Volkswagen Group and the core Volkswagen car brand increased their revenue, results and return in the first six months of the year.

The Volkswagen Group has continued to grow in the first half of 2018. Both revenue and the operating result were higher than ever before in the company’s history. 5.5 million vehicles sold also constitute a new record best. The half-year result of the Volkswagen brand looks good, too. Like the Group, it also increased its revenue, operating result and margin. The reason for this was the successful SUV campaign, as well as increased productivity in the plants.

The Chancellor seemed impressed when she appeared in front of a group of German and international journalists at the former Berlin Tempelhof airport in July. It was exciting, said Angela Merkel, “to experience autonomous driving in practice.” Previously, Merkel had taken part in a demonstration of various projects in this field by Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW, together with the Chinese State Premier, Li Keqiang. There, Merkel had the chance to take a test drive in the fully electric, self-driven Volkswagen concept vehicle, Sedric, together with Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess. “We went for a little drive and came back in one piece,” said Merkel about the experience.

Li Keqiang was in Germany for German-Chinese consultations. During his state visit, Volkswagen signed several declarations of intent with Chinese partners for cooperation in the fields of e-mobility, connectivity, mobile services and autonomous driving. Key technologies in both countries, for which Merkel sees a fruitful collaboration, will benefit. “Development is in full swing,” said Angela Merkel. “It would be nice if Germany and China were right at the forefront.”

For the third time in a row, Volkswagen has been named “Most Innovative High-volume Brand.” It took additional top places in the “Alternative Drives,” “Autonomous Driving and Safety” and “Conventional Drives” categories. 
The Center of Automotive Management (CAM), an independent research institute, bestows the awards together with the PricewaterhouseCoopers auditing firm.

“The awards honor Volkswagen’s entire global development team. That team works every day toward the serial production of the future,” says Head of Development Frank Welsch. The jury based its decision to declare Volkswagen the most innovative high-volume brand on 62 individual innovations the company developed in 2017. The study referenced ten Volkswagen innovations to justify the award in the “Alternative Drives” category, for example the e-Golf¹ with its significantly increased range.

In the category of “Autonomous Driving and Safety,” the brand confirmed its pioneering role, in particular through the Arteon with its emergency assist system.. The study also highlights the fact that Volkswagen, with seven innovations, earned first place among high-volume brands in the “Conventional Drives” category. One of the innovations that the jury identified as important is the first-ever installation of a gasoline particulate filter in the City Car class in the up! GTI².

¹e-Golf: power consumption in kWh/100 km: 12.7 (combined); CO₂ emissions in g/km: 0 (combined); efficiency class: A+
²up! GTI: fuel consumption in l/100 km (combined) 4.8; CO₂ emissions combined, g/km: 110; efficiency class: C

The “Driving Vizzions to Reality” exhibit will open its doors on July 2 at DRIVE, the Volkswagen Group Forum in Berlin. Through October 14, the exhibit about the brand will address questions regarding mobility for tomorrow in an interactive and easily understandable fashion.

How will Driver Assistance Systems and autonomous driving change traffic? How does the company work on e-mobility? In the exhibit, three studies of the I. D. family will convey an impression of Volkswagen’s answers to the challenges of the future – the I. D. Vizzion, the I. D. Crozz and the Cityskater.

DRIVE is located on “Unter den Linden” street in Berlin and is open daily from 10:00 am to 8 pm.

Vienna, Jerusalem, Warsaw – and now at the corporate archives forum at the Wolfsburg plant: visitors to the forum can see the video installation, entitled "6xSally: Perspectives and Identities – A Synoptic Portrait of ‘Hitler Youth Solomon’," from September 13 to November 9.

At the heart of the installation is Sally Perel, born in Peine. He survived the Nazi dictatorship with a hidden identity, and even used one to work in the former Volkswagen plant in Braunschweig as an apprentice. The 93-year-old witness to this period of modern history 
tells the moving story of 
his life for this multi-channel video installation, called "6xSally." Perel, who now lives in Israel, says, "It’s really something special for me to create something artistic in the middle of an automotive factory and that so many people working here would be interested in it."

The new additions to the Bundesliga soccer clubs VfL Wolfsburg, the VfL women’s team and the EHC Wolfsburg ice hockey team recently visited the main Volkswagen plant and were very impressed. After having lunch together at "Oasis," the company restaurant, the one-hour plant tour kicked off from the press shop, taking the visitors through to framing and the body shop to the "high point" in the Golf’s final assembly process in Hall 54. VfL coach Bruno Labbadia clearly enjoyed himself. "It was good for all of us to get a feeling of how the employees work together as a team to build the Golf, Touran and Tiguan," he said.

His players also came away from the plant tour with some lasting impressions. Midfielder Admir Mehmedi said, "It’s impressive to see that so many models are built to such a high quality standard in this huge factory. It’s a real team effort." Anna-Lena Stolze, striker for the formidable VfL women’s team, summed up the occasion by saying, "We were able to get a really good look at the entire production process. I was particularly fascinated by the machines and robots." EHC Managing Director Karl-Heinz Fliegauf added, "This visit was a great opportunity for the team to expand upon the already close relationship between Volkswagen and the Wolfsburg Grizzlys."

The 
Charity Bike Tour benefit, which is open to all Volkswagen employees, their friends and family, is entering 
the next round: the bike tour is being held for the second time at the Wolfsburg location on Saturday, 
September 15. Volunteers
 are also needed for the event to 
serve as marshals for the cyclists, 
to help with the other events on the day and to help set up beforehand and clean up afterwards. Anyone interested in volunteering should send an email to 
charitybiketour.vwag.r.wob@volkswagen.de.

Important info on the event: 
the bike tour will once again run through the plant and northern Wolfsburg. 
It will start at 10 am and the course is around 24 kilometers. An exciting program of events will kick off around 1 pm. The proceeds from this year’s event will go to Haus am Bernsteinsee, a non-
profit organization that provides recreational experiences for families with children suffering from cancer. For more information, please visit the page on the Volkswagen portal under "Your commute."

As of the beginning of August, Ralf Brandstätter is the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Volkswagen brand. In his newly created role, the 49-year-old will manage the business operations of the Volkswagen brand. He will also continue to be in charge of the brand's Procurement Management division as well. “Ralf Brandstätter has outstanding business skills and technical expertise,” says Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen. Brandstätter will “make a vital contribution to advancing the Volkswagen brand.”

The new COO knows Volkswagen from the ground up, having been trained here. In the 1980s, he qualified as a fitter at the Braunschweig plant. He then went on to study industrial engineering before returning to the company – to which he has remained loyal to this day.

On one of his first international business trips as CEO, Herbert Diess traveled to Israel. “Considering the special history it has with our company, it was my desire to visit Israel right at the start of my time as CEO,” says Diess during a meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

During the meeting, a potential collaboration on innovative mobility services was also discussed. Prior to the meeting, Diess visited the Yad Vashem memorial. “It is our responsibility to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive, to remember the victims and to ensure that a catastrophe of this kind is never repeated,” said the CEO.

With a donation of 1.2 million euros, Volkswagen is supporting the work of the International Auschwitz Committee and its cooperation with the International Youth Meeting Center in Oświęcim/Auschwitz and the memorial at Auschwitz-Birkenau. “This contribution will enable us to expand our focus on working with young people at the Youth Meeting Center and working with the memorial to help digitally secure its archive materials,” announced Christoph Heubner, Executive Vice President of the International Auschwitz Committee at the check presentation.

Both the Volkswagen Group and the core Volkswagen car brand increased their revenue, results and return in the first six months of the year.

The Volkswagen Group has continued to grow in the first half of 2018. Both revenue and the operating result were higher than ever before in the company’s history. 5.5 million vehicles sold also constitute a new record best. The half-year result of the Volkswagen brand looks good, too. Like the Group, it also increased its revenue, operating result and margin. The reason for this was the successful SUV campaign, as well as increased productivity in the plants.

The Chancellor seemed impressed when she appeared in front of a group of German and international journalists at the former Berlin Tempelhof airport in July. It was exciting, said Angela Merkel, “to experience autonomous driving in practice.” Previously, Merkel had taken part in a demonstration of various projects in this field by Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW, together with the Chinese State Premier, Li Keqiang. There, Merkel had the chance to take a test drive in the fully electric, self-driven Volkswagen concept vehicle, Sedric, together with Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess. “We went for a little drive and came back in one piece,” said Merkel about the experience.

Li Keqiang was in Germany for German-Chinese consultations. During his state visit, Volkswagen signed several declarations of intent with Chinese partners for cooperation in the fields of e-mobility, connectivity, mobile services and autonomous driving. Key technologies in both countries, for which Merkel sees a fruitful collaboration, will benefit. “Development is in full swing,” said Angela Merkel. “It would be nice if Germany and China were right at the forefront.”

For the third time in a row, Volkswagen has been named “Most Innovative High-volume Brand.” It took additional top places in the “Alternative Drives,” “Autonomous Driving and Safety” and “Conventional Drives” categories. 
The Center of Automotive Management (CAM), an independent research institute, bestows the awards together with the PricewaterhouseCoopers auditing firm.

“The awards honor Volkswagen’s entire global development team. That team works every day toward the serial production of the future,” says Head of Development Frank Welsch. The jury based its decision to declare Volkswagen the most innovative high-volume brand on 62 individual innovations the company developed in 2017. The study referenced ten Volkswagen innovations to justify the award in the “Alternative Drives” category, for example the e-Golf¹ with its significantly increased range.

In the category of “Autonomous Driving and Safety,” the brand confirmed its pioneering role, in particular through the Arteon with its emergency assist system.. The study also highlights the fact that Volkswagen, with seven innovations, earned first place among high-volume brands in the “Conventional Drives” category. One of the innovations that the jury identified as important is the first-ever installation of a gasoline particulate filter in the City Car class in the up! GTI².

¹e-Golf: power consumption in kWh/100 km: 12.7 (combined); CO₂ emissions in g/km: 0 (combined); efficiency class: A+
²up! GTI: fuel consumption in l/100 km (combined) 4.8; CO₂ emissions combined, g/km: 110; efficiency class: C

The “Driving Vizzions to Reality” exhibit will open its doors on July 2 at DRIVE, the Volkswagen Group Forum in Berlin. Through October 14, the exhibit about the brand will address questions regarding mobility for tomorrow in an interactive and easily understandable fashion.

How will Driver Assistance Systems and autonomous driving change traffic? How does the company work on e-mobility? In the exhibit, three studies of the I. D. family will convey an impression of Volkswagen’s answers to the challenges of the future – the I. D. Vizzion, the I. D. Crozz and the Cityskater.

DRIVE is located on “Unter den Linden” street in Berlin and is open daily from 10:00 am to 8 pm.