Volkswagen plans to overtake Tesla in the sale of its electric vehicles worldwide by 2025. This was stated on May 24 by Herbert Diess, CEO of the group, during an interview for the chain of American television CNBC.
Volkswagen is a direct competitor to Tesla
Tesla has a head start in the market for the sale of electric vehicles. The Californian company, headed by Elon Musk, delivered more than 936,000 vehicles in the previous year. Far ahead of the 263,000 electric cars shipped by the German automaker and other manufacturers.
Airbus opens hydrogen research center in UK
According to Herbert Diess, if Tesla dominates so much, it is because it is a question of ” the most digital car company, which gives it certain advantages “. However, the general manager of Volkswagen does not disassemble and adds that the objective of his group “ is still to follow Tesla’s lead and likely surpass it by 2025 in sales “.
Introducing the Volkswagen ID.5 electric vehicle model. Photography: Volkswagen.
To compete with the leader of electric car manufacturers, Volkswagen is betting on the sale of models accessible to a greater number of wallets. In 2020, the Wolfsburg-based company released the ID.3, the first model of its new generation of electrically powered vehicles. This model, which will top Tesla’s September 2020 electric car sales in Europe, will be followed by the ID.4 at the end of 2020 and the ID.5 in December 2021.
Towards the end of the shortage of semiconductors?
Volkswagen’s ambitions are running up against the obstacles that all car companies are facing right now. This industry is plagued by a shortage of semiconductors. For two years, the demand for semiconductors has increased by 17%, forcing manufacturers to slow down their production rate or even suspend it, as was the case with Toyota.
Tesla, on the other hand, mitigated the impact of the shortage thanks to a centralized computer system. This allows him to modify the software under which his vehicles run to accommodate another type of chip when a model is no longer available.
For his part, Herbert Diess is optimistic. He valued that “ we should see an easing of this situation towards the middle of the year. In the second half of the year, the sector should be in better shape – if the situation does not worsen “. For him, it will not necessarily be the end of the shortage, but the beginning of a return to normal where ” supply chains should get back in order “.