According to VW CEO Herbert Diess, the handling of safety-relevant data will be a key issue in autonomous driving – the development of ready-to-use services for broader use will, however, still take some time. In the important US market, Volkswagen wants to use the ramp-up of e-mobility and digitization to steal market share from the competition.
The German federal government had announced that it would test self-driving cars “in regular operation” in projects from 2022 onwards. Medium-term implementation of the technology is one of the goals of the new VW strategy.
“By 2030 we expect that we will see fleet operations and also private cars that drive autonomously in parts,” said Diess in an interview with dpa. “There will be setbacks, but that’s still eight or nine years. It can also be a little earlier, it can also be a little later. Very large development resources are flowing into it, worldwide. “
Technical progress “currently very fast”
At its core, it is about the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to the perception of different driving situations. Technical progress is “very fast at the moment,” said Diess. “But the safety hurdles are also great – and there are many special cases that can happen to you on the road. That is difficult to estimate. “
Exactly which rules should apply to autonomous driving as a possible everyday technology is currently still the subject of controversial discussions in many countries. The question concerns politicians and lawyers – but also ethicists who deal with the dilemma of which other road users a computer-controlled car should avoid first in the event of an accident. The industry is adapting to a large number of nationally different guidelines.
Much more data – but what happens to it?
The use of vehicle data itself is also becoming more of an issue. Diess made it clear: “In Europe, data initially belongs to our customers – they decide what happens to it.” When it comes to information that is important for recognizing traffic jams or slippery roads, “every society will also ensure that it is public – it will be we certainly share ”. In addition, the question must be taken into account when training the systems for autonomous driving.
Networking motorists, car manufacturers and service providers requires dealing with different values. “In China, data is considered a common good that is available to the common good. In America, data is mainly seen as an economic good, is not public, but remains with the companies, with Google, with Apple, in order to serve the business model there. And in Europe we have a very strong focus on the data sovereignty of the user. “
“Own car will remain dominant”
New services are an important addition at VW – but the core business should continue regardless. “Mobility as a service is increasing, and we want to be part of the big growth. But it will account for perhaps 15 percent of the world’s mobility turnover in 2030. ”Your own car will remain dominant. “Leased, shared, rented – but the private car that you use or buy for a certain period of time. And he will also be able to drive long distances himself. That remains our main business area. “
Diess is convinced that the individual group brands would retain their importance. They remained a purchase criterion. “But brands also have to renew themselves, they have to stay fresh,” he said, also referring to the transfer of the majority stake in Bugatti to the Croatian company Rimac, in which the VW subsidiary Porsche in turn holds a stake. “Volkswagen has repositioned itself in the electric world, Audi is the pioneer in electric vehicles in the premium segment, Porsche has the most ambitious electrification program.”
VW locates opportunities in e-mobility
The expansion of the range of electric models in the United States is a great opportunity six years after “Dieselgate”. “With the beginning of electrification, we are in a situation in which everyone starts with a blank sheet of paper,” explained Diess. The target would be ten percent market share. The Chattanooga location is the first manufacturer to convert a plant to e-production. “We should therefore be able to reposition ourselves in this environment. We will revise the US strategy in the next few months. “
One is “optimally prepared” for stricter rules on CO2 emissions. The infrastructure plan named after President Joe Biden will also be tightened across the Atlantic. “With our platform strategy for electric vehicles, we are very well positioned globally – for China and the USA as well as for Europe.”