Volkswagen Group Logistics consolidates and connects the Group’s logistics activities across all brands and production sites, with the objective of continuously reducing CO₂ emissions from logistics operations in Europe through the use of alternative and renewable fuels.
The effectiveness of these measures is verified through the review and audit of relevant compliance documentation, known as Proofs of Sustainability.
At the same time, Group Logistics drives initiatives across a range of focus areas and ensures that these measures are coordinated and implemented consistently with logistics service providers.
Volkswagen Group Logistics GmbH & Co. OHG is responsible for managing and optimising the Volkswagen Group’s logistics networks. Headquartered in Wolfsburg, its workforce of more than 800 employees primarily coordinates the transport of production materials as well as the transportation and distribution of new and used vehicles.
The company plays a central role in the Volkswagen Group’s supply chain management. Every day, around 200 million parts and approximately 43,000 vehicles are transported by ship, rail and truck, connecting more than 8,500 suppliers, 111 production sites and over 150 sales markets worldwide.
As the logistics head office, Group Logistics also performs a governance function for the brands’ logistics organisations. It designs and manages the cross-brand logistics network at both strategic and operational levels to ensure the efficient supply of production facilities and retail operations. Alongside security of supply, operational efficiency remains a key priority.
No production without logistics. Like production itself, the Volkswagen Group’s logistics operations must be designed for maximum efficiency.
Volkswagen Group Logistics continuously develops its transport solutions, ranging from improved asset utilisation and modal shifts from road to rail through to the selection of propulsion technologies and fuels.
“An optimally designed transport network generates as few emissions as possible and is powered by non-fossil energy sources.”
1. Transportation optimization—an ongoing core task in logistics. Maximizing the utilization of containers, railcars, and trucks reduces the number of trips. Digitalization will create process transparency and help address the challenges of increasing utilization, avoiding empty runs, and optimizing routes.
2. Network optimization to deploy the most suitable modes of transport for each shipment. One example is shifting shipments—especially long-haul ones—from road to rail. Intermodal transport intelligently combines the strengths of trucks and rail. This relieves pressure on roads and helps counteract the shortage of truck drivers.
3. The use of different propulsion technologies and energy sources—tailored to each mode of transportation: Electric propulsion technology is used on rail, while battery-electric trucks (e-trucks) are increasingly being introduced on the road.
When it comes to road and rail, the focus is on integrating these two modes of transportation in accordance with their respective capabilities. The greatest potential for reducing CO₂e lies in road transport: Although road transport accounts for less than 50 percent of total transport volume, it generates more than half of CO₂e emissions. Maritime transport is the second-largest source of CO₂e emissions, accounting for over 50 percent of transport volume, as large quantities are transported over long distances.
The premises:
Wherever technically and operationally feasible, the use of battery-electric trucks is promoted over fossil-fuel-powered trucks.
Where these conditions are not met, biofuels and synthetic fuels will remain an option for decarbonization. Since the availability of such non-fossil energy sources is limited, they should be used primarily in maritime transport and, if necessary, in air freight as well. This is because there are currently fewer CO2e-neutral alternatives for these modes of transport.
The vision is described as a shared transportation network for the transport of materials and vehicles, with a stronger focus on rail. When designing the network, particular consideration should be given to energy consumption (MJ/tkm), emissions, cost-effectiveness, security of supply, range, and the availability of energy sources and infrastructure.
Within the Volkswagen Group, all brands are working together as partners to realize this vision: They are consolidating their transport volumes, coordinating networks and modes of transport across brands, and jointly driving concrete measures forward – from improving capacity utilization to shifting to rail and electrifying road transport.
