The Volkswagen Group is a massive corporation responsible for manufacturing nearly a dozen automotive brands, as well as motorcycles and other business ventures. Its operations span multiple continents, and the company has plans for expansion to accommodate current sales and projected growth. That makes our job extremely difficult in covering every news story, so we thought it may be best to compile a round-up of VW news around the globe. Here’s what your favorite brand has been up to as of late:
Volkswagen in China
China is the fastest growing market for the automotive industry. Though the European and American markets are still the most profitable, companies recognize the importance of tapping into Asian nations. That is why Volkswagen AG plans to maximize production capacity by building two plants: one in Qingdao; the other in Tianjin. It will cost the company nearly $3 billion dollars to build the plants.
Jochem Heizmann, president of VW in China, noted that with “these investments, Volkswagen is clearly expressing its commitment to the Chinese market.”
The automaker delivered over one-third of its vehicles to Chinese consumers in the first quarter of 2014, making it the largest market for VW itself. Between now and 2018, the company intends to invest 18.2 billion euros. It was such a momentous announcement that Volkswagen and FAW signed the deal in Beijing at the same time German Chancellor Angela Merkel met Chinese Premier Li Kegiang.
Volkswagen in India
Volkswagen India announced plans to cut consumption of energy and water at the Pune production facility. High-volume low-speed fans were installed to reduce the amount of energy consumed by 436 megawatt hours per year, which is equivalent to the energy used by 120 Indian households. Water usage will be reduced by 1,636 cubic meters annually.
These efforts are part of Volkswagen’s “Think Blue” initiative. Overall, the program aims to reduce environmental impact caused by manufacturing processes by 25 percent per vehicle – a goal set to be reached by 2018. The reduction includes the areas of energy, water, waste, and CO2.
Volkswagen in America
Volkswagen Group of America had 75 employees from its headquarters in Herndon, Virginia, volunteer to clean up the National Mall following the annual Independence Day celebration. This job tasked them debris cleaning, minor landscaping, and fence and bench painting.
In addition to the volunteers, the automaker also donated the use of a 2014 Volkswagen Touareg to Trust for the National Mall, a nonprofit, that helps restore the national park.
Be sure to check back as there will be plenty of news regarding the Volkswagen brand. And, if you’ve heard of something in the news, we encourage you to leave comments and links so we can highlight more of the great things Volkswagen is doing!
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