Photo: Volkswagen
Volkswagen Group future plans for the future not only include becoming the world’s leading automaker, but also selling 10 million cars a year by 2018. That’s a 19% increase over last year’s record of 8.36 million cars delivered. That doesn’t seem like much, but it might be when you consider their reliance on the domestic European market.
A new report coming from German daily Handelsblatt might indicate that plan is in jeopardy. Just like most other carmakers operating in Europe, VW Group is seeing a slowdown, but not only for next year. According to the company’s works council head, 2012 will be affected as well, as internal sales targets in for 2012 have been cut by 140,000 vehicles.
They will sell more cars than last year, but not by that much. Unlike Ford Europe, which is cutting capacity and selling cars from one dealer to another, VW’s strategy is to add shifts and boost production of he sixth-generation Golf, pumping it into the European market before they switch to the new one.
"Because we are able to build the old Golfs up to the end of the year parallel to producing the new generation, we can therefore fight the price wars without putting the new Golf under pressure," Osterloh said.
They will sell more cars than last year, but not by that much. Unlike Ford Europe, which is cutting capacity and selling cars from one dealer to another, VW’s strategy is to add shifts and boost production of he sixth-generation Golf, pumping it into the European market before they switch to the new one.
"Because we are able to build the old Golfs up to the end of the year parallel to producing the new generation, we can therefore fight the price wars without putting the new Golf under pressure," Osterloh said.
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