Diess: “The electric is not the real turning point” | FormulaPassion.it

Bet everything on autonomous driving and not on the electric Herbert Diess, the number one of the Volkswagen group. On the eve of the opening of the IAA Mobility 2021, the manager at the head of the German group was clear about what he believes will be the turning point of the automotive sector. “Autonomous driving will truly change the industry we operate in like nothing else before – Diess said – In comparison, the transition from thermal to electrified cars was definitely a little easier to do“.

A statement that partially clashes with the strategies that the European Union is putting in place, which is starting to establish new deadlines after which it will no longer be possible to market models equipped with a thermal engine, however neglecting investments that car manufacturers around the world will have to push forward in self-driving technology. “The real turning point is represented by autonomous driving and software”, reiterates Diess, who at the same time has to deal with the uprisings of environmental associations, Greenpeace above all, which have threatened lawsuits against German auto brands in the event that they do not intensify policies to tackle climate change. However, Volkswagen’s goal remains that of overcome Tesla and become the world’s leading electric car seller by 2025.

FP | Andrea Trezza

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