i3 - January/February 2016 - 8

for the future and how the
company views electric mobility. Volkswagen will also launch
a new all-electric concept car at
the event that will illustrate the
synergy between the Internet
of Things and the automotive
industry. Diess will share Volkswagen's vision for the future,
including the company's commitment to sustainability, and
display its latest developments
in safe and energy-efficient
electric vehicles consistent
with Volkswagen's long history
of innovation in the driving
experience. He recently spoke
with i3.
How have you addressed
the emissions scandal?
How is VW focusing on
sustainability through tech
innovation?
Our customers continue to be
our number one priority. We
want to regain trust we have
lost. That's why we will ensure
that the technical measures are
available as soon as possible.
We will ensure that something
8

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016

like this can never happen
again by adapting out structures and processes. But I also
want to state very clearly that
these incidents are against
everything Volkswagen stands
for. Sustainability was and
continues to be one of the most
important core tasks for our
company. Technological innovations will help us achieve this
goal.
What is your strategy to
keep Volkswagen at the
forefront of innovation?
We are currently in the process
of completely restructuring the
Volkswagen brand. "New Volkswagen" will be on the offensive, especially when it comes
to the big questions impacting the future of our sector:
electromobility, digitalization
and new mobility services.
For example, we are working
on a new automotive architecture developed specifically
for electric cars. It will allow a
greatly increased range, while
the charging time will be only

a fraction of what it is today.
And it will also be fit for highvolume series production. It
will mark the breakthrough for
electromobility.
How is electric mobility
driving the automotive
market?
Electromobility is still a niche
market and far from profitable.
But I am convinced this will
change within the next five to
10 years. Range will increase,
costs will fall and charging
times will be so short that
electric cars will be suitable
even for longer distances. At
Volkswagen, we want to play
our part in adapting electromobility to the demands of our
customers.
You are introducing a new
concept electric vehicle at
CES, what makes it unique?
The BUDD-E is the first
vehicle based on our new automotive architecture developed
specifically for electromobility.
It achieves a range of more

than 370 miles, while charging up to 80 percent capacity is expected to take only
15 minutes. The battery is
extremely shallow and installed
in the vehicle floor, where
it saves space. In a way, the
BUDD-E is a precursor of the
future electric world "made by
Volkswagen."
As vehicles become more
intelligent, what is your
vision to tie the car in with
the Internet of Things?
The automobile of the future
isn't just connected to the
Internet via individual services,
but is itself an integral part
of the Internet. The BUDDE shows the advantages this
offers. The car thinks ahead;
it learns and understands.
One interesting feature is the
connectivity with the smart
home. The car will become part
of home automation, almost
like a mobile extra room. It is
important that these new functions run automatically in the
background. Nobody has the
I T I S I N N O VAT I O N
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