Volkswagen is one of the most popular auto brands globally, and there are plenty of reasons behind it. Founded in 1937, the German automaker is known for its iconic car Beetle, a retro-style hatchback. The original concept behind the first Volkswagen, the company, and its name is the belief of a people’s car – a car that is affordable and practical enough for common people to own. Hence the name, Volkswagen literally translates to “people’s car” in German. The concept and its functional objectives were formulated by the leader of Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler, who wanted a cheap, simple car to be mass-produced for his country’s new road network (Reichsautobahn).
Representing Multiple Brands
In its current lineup, the company now features cars like Polo, Vento, Jetta and Cross Polo. Volkswagen is also the founding and namesake member of the Volkswagen Group, a large international corporation in charge of multiple car and truck brands, including Audi, SEAT, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bentley, Bugatti, Scania, MAN, and Škoda. Headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany, the group is Europe’s largest automaker, with over 74000 employees and over 7700 dealerships. The group’s core markets include Germany and China.
Global Presence & Electric Mobility
Volkswagen has factories in many parts of the world, manufacturing or assembling vehicles for local markets. In addition to plants in Germany, the company has manufacturing or assembly facilities in Mexico, the United States, Slovakia, China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Malaysia, Brazil, Argentina, Portugal, Spain, Poland, the Czech Republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kenya and South Africa.
Many global giants are entering the electric-vehicle race to create eco-friendly alternatives for consumers. In 2017, Volkswagen announced plans to place a considerable focus on electric vehicles (EV), with a goal to launch at least 30 EV models by 2025 and have 20-25 percent of their total yearly sales volume (2-3 million) consisting of EVs.
In September, Volkswagen CEO Matthias Müller stated that the company aimed to have electric versions of all of its vehicle models by 2030, at a cost of 20 billion euro, and 50 billion euro on the acquisition of batteries. In September 2019, the company announced a program to allow old Beetle models to be converted to run on electric power. The electric motor and battery updates will be done in partnership with the German company eClassics.
Thinking of buying a Volkswagen car? All you need to do is check the online portal Carbazaar where you can sell and buy used cars in Australia from verified customers at the best price.
