The Volkswagen Group, a sizable international organization in charge of numerous automobile and truck brands, including Audi, SEAT, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bentley, Bugatti, Scania, MAN, and koda, was founded by and bears the name of its founding member, Volkswagen. The global headquarters of the Volkswagen Group are situated in Wolfsburg, Germany, the birthplace of Volkswagen. [71][72]
With more than 74,000 employees and more than 7700 dealerships, the Volkswagen Group as a whole is Europe’s largest automaker.
[73] Volkswagen has held a market share of more than 20% for a while. [74]
Volkswagen reported record-breaking vehicle sales in 2010 of 6.29 million, with a 11.4% market share worldwide.
Volkswagen rose to become the third-largest automaker in the world in 2008[75], and as of 2016, it was the second-largest manufacturer globally.
[77] The business profited from trade tariffs and stricter emission requirements in 2018, delivering a record-breaking 10.8 million vehicles. [78] Germany and China are two of the major markets for Volkswagen Group. [79]
Volkswagen made a $2.6 billion investment in Argo AI, a firm working on self-driving car technology, in July 2019.
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In This Article...
Volkswagen: German or European?
Volkswagen AG, also known as the Volkswagen Group internationally and with its headquarters in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany, is a multinational automobile manufacturer. The business creates, produces, and sells motorcycles, passenger and commercial vehicles, engines, and turbomachinery in addition to providing related services including financing, leasing, and fleet management. It held the title of largest carmaker in the world in 2016 and continued to hold it in 2017, 2018 and 2019, selling 10.9 million vehicles. [7] For more than 20 years, it has consistently held the greatest market share in Europe. [8] On the 2020 Fortune Global 500 list of the biggest businesses in the world, it came in at number seven. [9]
In addition to selling passenger cars under the Audi, Bentley, Cupra, Lamborghini, Porsche, SEAT, koda, and Volkswagen names, the Volkswagen Group also sells motorcycles under the Ducati brand, light commercial vehicles under the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles name, and heavy commercial vehicles under the names of listed subsidiary Traton (IC Bus, International, MAN, Scania and Volkswagen Caminhes e nibus). It consists of the Automotive Division and the Financial Services Division as its two main divisions, and as of 2008, it had roughly 342 subsidiary businesses. [10] FAW-Volkswagen and SAIC Volkswagen are two other significant joint ventures for Volkswagen in China. The business operates in about 150 nations and has 100 production sites spread across 27 nations.
In 1937, Volkswagen was established in Berlin and incorporated in Wolfsburg with the goal of producing the car that would come to be known as the Beetle. In the 1950s and 1960s, the company’s production increased significantly. It purchased Auto Union in 1965, which went on to build the first Audi vehicles after World War II. In the 1970s, Volkswagen introduced a new line of front-wheel-drive cars, including the Passat, Polo, and Golf, which went on to become its best-selling model. SEAT became Volkswagen’s first non-German brand when the corporation acquired a controlling interest in it in 1986. Volkswagen also gained ownership of koda in 1994, Bentley, Lamborghini, and Bugatti in 1998, Scania in 2008, and Ducati, MAN, and Porsche in 2012. Over the past ten years, the company’s operations in China have expanded significantly, making China its largest market.
Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft is a publicly traded business with secondary listings on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and SIX Swiss Exchange in addition to its principal listing on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, where it is a component of the Euro Stoxx 50 stock market index. Since 1988, it has been traded via American depositary receipts in the US; it is currently traded on the OTC Market. In 2013, Volkswagen ceased trading on the London Stock Exchange. [11] [12] 12.7% of the company’s shares are owned by the Lower Saxony government, giving it legally 20% of the voting rights. [13]
Volkswagen: Chinese or German?
Group CEO Diess is now responsible for overseeing business strategy in China. As CEO of Volkswagen Group China, Stephan Wllenstein, who oversees the Volkswagen brand in China, will continue Heizmann’s management style. According to Diess, the Chinese market will determine the direction Volkswagen takes. In terms of e-mobility, autonomous driving, and networked driving, China is now setting the pace in the automobile sector, which is undergoing a fundamental transition. According to Diess, China has taken a leadership role in the global automotive market.
For automobile companies, the Chinese market is unique in a number of waysand not only because of its size and quick expansion. Sales are regulated in part by government incentives and rules. To encourage sales of this type of vehicle, for instance, the Chinese government temporarily slashed taxes on cars with displacements up to 1.6 liters in half in 2015. The issuance of licenses for vehicle registration plates, which restricts the registration of brand-new vehicles with combustion engines, is another method of regulating sales.
The Volkswagen Group has led the way among German automakers in the Chinese market. In 1984, it established Shanghai Automotive as its first joint venture. The company, which is now known as SAIC VOLKSWAGEN, was one of China’s major automakers in 2018 with almost two million vehicles shipped out. The most popular model, the Lavida*, has sold almost 460,000 automobiles. The Tiguan comes next; roughly 280,000 of them, including the Tiguan L, were driven last year.
The third-placed Santana (270,000 vehicles sold) launched Volkswagen’s operations in China in April 1983. In those days, before the joint venture agreement was finalized the next year, the first automobile was assembled in Shanghai. Originally based on the Passat, the Santana is now a unique model designed for the Chinese market and mostly produced in Yizheng.
SAIC Models under the Volkswagen and KODA brands, such as the Fabia, Superb, and Kodiaq, are produced and sold by VOLKSWAGEN. In addition to these models, there are automobiles created especially for China, such as the Teramont SUV and the Phideon luxury sedan, both of which debuted in October 2016.
Which Volkswagen cars are produced in Germany?
Volkswagen still produces a significant amount of its products in Wolfsburg, Germany, at a facility that first opened its doors in 1938.
These automobiles are still produced at that facility:
- Golf by Volkswagen.
- Golf Sportsvan by Volkswagen.
- Toyota Corolla R.
- Golf GTI by Volkswagen.
- Golf GTE by Volkswagen.
- e-Golf by Volkswagen.
- Tiguan by Volkswagen.
Volkswagen is dependable?
With a reliability rating of 3.5 out of 5, Volkswagen is ranked 12th overall out of 32 automobile brands. This evaluation is based on the average of 345 different models. Volkswagens have above average ownership expenses with an average annual maintenance cost of $676. Volkswagen reliability is further influenced by an average of 0.5 annual repair visits and an 11% likelihood that a repair may be major.
Who builds the engines for Volkswagen?
The ubiquitous 1.8 T engine, also known as the 1.8 20vT and completely developed by Audi, is found in many Volkswagen vehicles and has undergone numerous advancements over the years.
What plant produces VW engines?
In order to evaluate the potential effects on the regional economy, Varga also stated that the government was in discussions with both Audi and German rival Daimler’s DAIGn.DE premium brand Mercedes, which also operates a sizable manufacturing in Hungary.
He continued, “I am certain that this will have an impact on Hungarian auto manufacture and the local auto industry, but I hope the aftermath will be less severe than what the catastrophe scenarios suggest.
The minister has previously stated that a drop in European auto sales as a result of the scandal may cost the Hungarian economy between 0.3 and 0.6 percent of growth.
Additionally, Daimler DAIGn.DE runs the 150,000-car-per-year Mercedes factory in Kecskemet, central Hungary. The car manufacturer has refuted accusations that it fudged emissions data.
Is a Volkswagen vehicle affordable?
Everything dates back to the very beginning of Volkswagen’s history. Volkswagen was established with the goal of developing a useful, well-designed vehicle that the average person could afford, though we won’t get into the details here. The notion of Volkswagen, which stands for “Folks’ Wagon” or “People’s Car,” was inspired by this. The cars were designed to be of good quality and reasonable price, and they were.
Since its inception many years ago, Volkswagen has remained committed to the premise that there needs to be an affordable, high-quality vehicle available for the general public. Volkswagen vehicles are still reasonably priced because of this.
Why are other German brands more expensive?
Volkswagen cars are not inexpensive, but their price is excellent for the value they offer. Customers of Volkswagen prefer good engineering and longevity over the more ostentatious luxury features found in other German models.
Unlike those premium brands, which compete in the highest price brackets that make up the standard playing field for the majority of German-made cars, Volkswagen holds a position in the market where it faces intense competition from both local and foreign automakers.
Delivering top-notch German engineering at competitive pricing has allowed them to prosper rather than relying on expensive luxury and technological gizmos and exaggerated brand cache. As a result, their vehicles are well known for the extraordinary value they offer.
Can you buy German automobiles in China?
Volkswagen Group China operates two joint venture partnerships, FAW-Volkswagen and SAIC Volkswagen, to produce VW and Audi vehicles in China. As of November 2018, they had sold 30 million automobiles. Three new FAW-Volkswagen facilities were opened by the alliance in China in 2018: at Qingdao, Foshan, and Tianjin.
Which models of VW are produced in China?
FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Company (FAW-VW), with its headquarters in Changchun, Jilin, was founded in February 1991 as a joint venture between First Automobile Works of the FAW Group, Volkswagen AG, Audi AG, and Volkswagen (China) Investment Co., Ltd. It was China’s first industrial base for making contemporary cars that was built using economies of scale. As a result of its growth over the years, FAW-Volkswagen now produces thousands of automobiles every day.
With cutting-edge tools and technology, FAW-Volkswagen produces 10 items under the Volkswagen Passenger Cars and Audi brands, two household names. Consumers love the Volkswagen Jetta, New Bora, Golf, Sagitar, Magotan, Volkswagen CC, Audi A6L, Audi A4L, Audi Q3 and Audi Q5. With a full lineup of A-, B-, and C-grade vehicles, FAW-Volkswagen is an established manufacturing facility in China.
Is it expensive to maintain a Volkswagen?
YourMechanic examined customer data to determine which vehicles tend to require the greatest and least maintenance costs. They ranked the average cost of maintenance for the first 10 years of the car’s life, including twice-yearly oil changes, for 30 makes of vehicles, ranging from BMW to Toyota.
Volkswagen ranked 22nd, requiring $7,800 on average in maintenance over the course of the first ten years of ownership. Compared to Ford, Chevrolet, Jeep, and Kia, this is less expensive. It costs less than $600 more than Nissan, Mazda, and Honda automobiles.
Is Volkswagen a German company?
Volkswagen vehicles are currently produced all over the world, although the Golf, Rabbit, and GTI models are still produced in the German city of Wolfsburg, where the firm is headquartered.
Was Audi made in Germany?
Who owns Audi, one of the top German automakers still today? The Volkswagen Group subsidiary Audi has continued to make high-end automobiles that dazzle with their opulent features and superb performance while staying faithful to its German heritage.
All Mercedes are built in Germany, right?
Mercedes-Benz automobiles are now produced all over the world. Mercedes-Benz has manufacturing facilities in 21 other nations in addition to its home country of Germany, where the company was founded. Find out more about the origins of Mercedes-Benz vehicles below.
How durable are Volkswagen vehicles?
Several elements can affect how long a Volkswagen lasts, such as:
- regular maintenance performed on the vehicle
- The specific model bought
- How frequently and how often the vehicle is on the road
If you’re wondering how long Volkswagens last, you can rest easy knowing that many of them will endure a considerable amount of time on the road. If you choose a Volkswagen, you’ll get a beloved vintage vehicle that many drivers still drive today.
The reliability of a Volkswagen affects its lifespan. Next, let’s talk about this aspect of the Volkswagen.
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