All Press Releases

Volkswagen and bp have today launched their strategic partnership that will boost the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) across Europe, unveiling the first charger in Dusseldorf, Germany. The partnership brings together two of the leading global players in e-mobility who aim to transform access to EV charging in key European markets by rapidly building a fast charging network across Europe by 2024 and delivering a seamless experience for EV drivers.

The Volkswagen Group is launching a major quality offensive in terms of charging and energy. The volume brands Volkswagen, Cupra/Seat and ŠKODA are now offering simple tariffs for public charging, allowing customers to charge at fixed kilowatt-hour prices throughout the entire charging network. With this step, the company creates optimal cost transparency. At the same time, the Volkswagen Group is further expanding its European charging network: E-car drivers can now use more than 310,000 charging points throughout Europe, including around 10,000 fast chargers at over 3,000 locations. Volkswagen is also planning a comprehensive partner program to increase the comfort at charging parks.

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has scientifically reviewed and upgraded the ambition of Volkswagen Group’s emissions reduction targets in production. Volkswagen's SBTi ambition level thus rises from "below 2 degrees" global warming to "1.5 degrees" for its scope 1 (internal operations) and scope 2 (energy supply) emissions. The initiative and the company are publishing this news on the eve of the worldwide Earth Day, on which Volkswagen is calling on its workforce for the second time to take part in the global Project1Hour. Around 670,000 employees worldwide can spend an hour coming up with climate protection ideas - for their own carbon footprint and that of their company.

The electrification of Astypalea is picking up speed: The Volkswagen Group has delivered the first electric cars to private customers on the Greek island. A turquoise ID.3 Pure was handed over to its new owner directly at the windmills of Chora, the main town on Astypalea. Further deliveries included the ID.4 and e-up! as well as the Seat MÓ eScooter 125. As a result, the e-fleet on Astypalea is further growing, after the local authorities have been using electric vehicles already since last year. The "Smart & Sustainable Island" project is a joint initiative of the Volkswagen Group and the Hellenic Republic. In the coming years, Astypalea will be converted into an island where the mobility will be smart and sustainable, and the energy system will be completely renewed.

The Volkswagen Group successfully continued its global electric offensive in the first quarter, lifting deliveries of all-electric vehicles by 65 percent year-on-year. Despite supply bottlenecks for semiconductors and wire harnesses, 99,100 BEVs have been handed over to customers by the end of March, up from 60,000 in the opening quarter of the previous year. The biggest increase was seen in China, where 28,800 customers took delivery of a BEV manufactured by a Group brand – a more than four-fold increase versus the prior-year period.

Today the press conference of the exhibition "Motion. Autos, Art, Architecture" took place at the world-famous Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. The initiator and curator of the unique show, iconic architect and visionary Sir Norman Foster, spoke together with Dr. Herbert Diess (Chairman of the Board of Volkswagen AG), Ignacio Gálan (Chairman and CEO Iberdrola) and museum director Juan Ignacio Vidarte about the history of the automobile and the mobility of the future. “Motion” presents around 40 exceptional cars along with artworks by Andy Warhol, Donald Judd, Giacomo Balla and others. In the Future Gallery sketches and models from students give a glimpse into how mobility might look like in the year 2086. The universities cooperated with Bentley Motors Limited, UK and Volkswagen, among others. The sponsorship of the exhibition in Bilbao is part of Volkswagen's international cultural engagement as well as an expression of the support of cultural concerns in the vicinity of the Spanish Volkswagen facilities.

Electrifying Spain by creating a European Electric Vehicle Hub, building up a battery cell production and full, sustainable E-ecosystem: These are the goals of Volkswagen Group and SEAT for the Iberian Peninsula. Today, the Group declared its plan to apply to the Electric Vehicle PERTE program after the Spanish government announced to open the call for applications on April 1st, 2022. The ‘Future Fast Forward’ program would include a total investment of more than 7 billion euros together with external suppliers along the entire value chain of e-mobility. Furthermore, Volkswagen announced Valencia as the dedicated location for a new battery cell factory in Spain. All plans are still subject to final approvals, foremost the PERTE submission.

The Volkswagen Group and Salzgitter AG have enjoyed a close partnership for over 60 years. Now both want to open the next chapter together in the decarbonisation of their processes and products. The companies are today announcing a Memorandum of Understanding under which Volkswagen will become one of the first customers for the low-CO₂ steel that Salzgitter AG plans to produce on a new production route at its headquarters in Lower Saxony from the end of 2025. According to Salzgitter AG, this will enable over 95 per cent of CO₂ emissions in steel production to be saved in future on the basis of hydrogen and renewable energies. The Volkswagen Group plans to use the low-CO₂ steel from the end of 2025 in important future projects such as the Trinity1 e-model, which will be produced in Wolfsburg from 2026.

As the largest member company by revenue, the Volkswagen Group joined the "Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA)" in March 2022. IRMA is an alliance of non-governmental organisations, labor unions, affected communities, investors, mining companies and purchasers of raw materials. With more than 50 diverse members, IRMA works to develop and establish rigorous standards for responsible extraction of raw materials in mining.

Volkswagen Group delivered on its NEW AUTO Strategy last year, laying the basis for future profitable growth and improving the resilience of its business model in a difficult environment. Volkswagen last year reached the turnaround in key regions of the world, successfully ramped up e-mobility, built up software capabilities and raised efficiency.