Tesla "light years" ahead – Herbert Diess fears for the VW Group

VW CEO Herbert Diess, chairman of the Wolfsburg vehicle group, is worried

about the future viability of the long-standing world market leader. Some time ago I wrote that almost all European car manufacturers will have to fear for their survival if they do not move into e-mobility, autonomous driving, car sharing … as quickly as possible.

I also noted that many have not even understood these disruptive developments yet and have often dismissed them as insignificant … But it has long ceased to be about the electric car itself; it is about “autonomous driving, … AI (artificial intelligence), … enormous data collections, networks, software … over-the-air updates, … much of what has already been standard at Google, Apple and Tesla over the last 15 years, with gigantic data collections, and subsidiaries of these companies such as Waymo, with self-driving cars that have been on the market for several years.”

Only now does CEO Diess realise – very late, but still – that precisely this exchange of collected data, over-the-air updates, … (10 years are missing!!) and in-house software are far more important than the entire electric car itself … as has been standard at Tesla for years … this is about a completely different dimension; it is about actual survival …

Herbert Diess worried about VW’s sovereignty: “If we want to remain independent, we have to develop the software in the car ourselves”

businessinsider.de: VW boss Diess worried about the sovereignty of the entire group (German)

VW CEO Herbert Diess has finally understood that it has long ceased to be about an electric motor with 4 wheels and a battery in between – what matters is the “brain”. Tesla knew this more than 10 years ago and put a PC on 4 wheels … other car manufacturers now want to put the cart before the horse, which is turning out to be the greatest challenge – if it can be managed at all …

More than 10,000 VW employees work in software. Success is slow in coming: the first electric VW ID.3s were delivered with only part of the necessary software, which is now being updated continuously.

Another huge manufacturing advantage for Tesla

No car manufacturer currently produces the rear or front frame in one piece!!!

Giga Press in action at Tesla’s Chinese factory – according to CEO Musk it saves 300 robots

LINK TO THE BLOG – TESLAMAG (German)

According to Musk, giga-pressing the rear alone saves no fewer than 300 robots for later production steps and thus reduces the space required by 30 per cent. And if the front frame also came from a Giga Press, a further 300 robots could be dispensed with, the CEO said. In addition, quality improves practically automatically …

Perhaps it now becomes clear why Tesla’s market value is 8 times that of VW (German)

Among the 5 largest car manufacturers in the world are 3 pure electric car makers: Tesla, BYD and NIO …

With sunny regards Wolfgang Löser