VW emissions scandal – VW confirms extra investment in electric tech, but delays new Phaeton

As well as investigating the matter internally, Volkswagen has also engaged an independent auditor to assess its findings. Müller has stressed that those responsible will face severe consequences.

Beyond the immediate investigation, Müller says that another of the VW Group’s top priorities will be to realign itself with a more decentralised structure. In addition to the personnel moves and group realignments already announced, Müller says that “the key point is that Group management will be decentralised to a greater extent in the future” - something designed to give the different brands in the group more independence in their own regions.

Hinting at a possible radical realignment of the brand’s future model portfolio - already known to be affected thanks to £750m in reduced spending per year - Müller said: “We will review in detail our current portfolio of more than 300 models and examine the contribution that each one makes to our earnings.”

Müller’s fourth priority is described as being ‘a realignment of the Group’s culture and management behaviour’ - with Müller noting that changes are necessary in how Volkswagen “communicates and how it handles its mistakes”. Many have been critical of how slowly VW has appeared to communicate with an apology to its customers, but Müller has stressed that “we need a culture of openness and cooperation.”

Beyond those priorities, VW is working on a new plan dubbed the new Group Strategy 2025. An evolution of the current Strategy 2018 plan, the new initiative will be unveiled in full towards the middle of next year.

Müller said: “Many people outside of Volkswagen, but also some of us, did not understand that our Strategy 2018 is about much more than production numbers. A lot of things were subordinated to the desire to be “Faster, Higher, Larger”, especially return on sales.” Instead of sheer volume, says Müller, the focus of the plan will instead be on qualitative growth.

All-electric VW Phaeton delayed

The new Volkswagen Phaeton - development of which is now being delayed - will “be the flagship of the brand’s profile over the next decade", the company says.

Volkswagen said the car will feature "a pure-electric drive with long-distance capability, connectivity and next-generation assistance systems”.

Wolfsburg insiders with knowledge of Volkswagen’s future model plans say the electric Phaeton will share its platform architecture, drive system and battery technology with the upcoming Audi Q6 e-tron – as previewed by the e-tron Quattro concept at the Frankfurt motor show.

Reduced spending at Volkswagen

Volkswagen will reduce spending by €1 billion (£750m) per year in the wake of the dieselgate emissions scandal, as well as refocusing its development plans as the firm seeks cut costs and reaffirm its environmental credentials among car buyers. VW traditionally invests around €10bn (£7.5bn) per year on research and development alone.

Among the most radical decisions is an overhaul of the VW Group’s approach to diesel engines. From now on, the group will only use modern diesel engines with selective catalytic reduction and AdBlue injection in Europe and the United States – the two regions most heavily affected by its emissions scandal.

Development and modification of the group’s standardised MQB platform will also be accelerated, with a focus on bringing a new generation of plug-in hybrid vehicles to market. VW says it wants to produce hybrids with greater range, as well as developing new mass-market electric vehicles with a range of more than 186 miles. Alongside the new models, VW will also develop a new 48V mild hybrid system and create more efficient petrol, diesel and CNG engines.

Volkswagen will also create a new modular electric toolkit – dubbed MEB - which will be used across the VW Group brands. The toolkit be used for both passenger cars and LCVs and will be designed for all vehicle and body types. VW says the MEB toolkit will allow for “particularly emotional vehicle concepts”, and will enable an all-electric range of 250-500km (155-310 miles).