April's drive: innovating, collaborating, and electrifying

??? April has been a month of progress for us: from electrifying milestones in China to partnerships and visionary initiatives.

Buckle up, as we take you on a journey through 7?? highlights, that define our commitment to innovation, sustainability, and collaboration.?

1. A spectacular start to our 40th anniversary campaign in China!

?? Celebrating our deep-rooted connection with China, the Volkswagen Group Night at the Beijing Auto Show 2024 featured four world premieres, two China premieres, and an exclusive China concept car.?

?? The stars of the night included the 奥迪 Q6 L e-tron, Bentley Motors Batur, Ducati Motor Holding Diavel, Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. Urus, and the Porsche AG Taycan. All tailored for the Chinese market. In addition, the two ?models from 大众汽车（中国） , the ID. CODE and the ID. UNYX offered a glimpse of our electrified future.

?? This impressive showcase marks the launch of our 40th anniversary campaign, "Volkswagen 40 - never stop", embodying our "In China, for China" strategy. With a focus on smart, connected vehicles, tailored to Chinese consumers, we're driving forward with determination and innovation.

2. Volkswagen Group China turned 40! ??

Since 1984, 大众汽车（中国） has been a driving force in China's automotive landscape, serving 50 million customers with 39 plants, 3,500 dealerships, and 90,000 employees.

Oliver Blume, CEO of the Volkswagen Group, said: "After 40 years, China remains our second home. Our aim is to remain the strongest international car manufacturer in China and to continue to rank among the top three automakers."

?? Looking ahead, we're investing 2.5 billion euros in our Anhui innovation hub to drive China's automotive future with speed and precision.

?? Committed to "smart electric" mobility, we'll introduce 30 all-electric models by 2030, starting with Volkswagen Anhui's debut in H2 2024 and new 奥迪 models on the PPE platform by the end of this year.

3. "XIAOPENG 2.0", an expanded partnership with XPENG!

Volkswagen Group's expanded cooperation with XPENG Motors 小鹏汽车 , called "XIAOPENG 2.0", marks a new era in our e-strategy and strengthens our position in intelligent and connected vehicles.

?? This milestone aligns seamlessly with our "In China, for China" strategy, promising customers an enhanced digital experience, cutting-edge automated driving capabilities and more.

?? To strengthen our local presence, we're partnering with Gotion Inc. for unified battery cells, 地平线 for autonomous driving solutions, ThunderSoft for infotainment and connectivity, and #ARK for UX/UI innovation.

4. We are a member of the "Value Balancing Alliance"!

???? Volkswagen Group is proud to be a member of the Value Balancing Alliance , a cross-industry alliance dedicated to developing standards for measuring and comparing environmental and social impacts.

1?? Adopting site-specific strategies based on cause and effect.?

2?? Providing a balanced overview of both negative and positive impacts.?

3?? Increasing transparency in procurement decisions by considering ESG criteria.

Porsche AG has led our commitment and we are now extending it to the Group level to promote greater transparency and accountability in our sustainability efforts.

5. Time for some numbers!

?? ?? Despite market challenges, we delivered 2.10 million vehicles worldwide in the first quarter, an increase of 3% compared to last year. Growth regions included China (+8%), South America (+14%) and North America (+5%).

?? Commenting on the figures, Hildegard Wortmann underlined the resilience of our diversified product portfolio. While global sales of all-electric vehicles (BEVs) declined slightly, we compensated for this with growth in other powertrains. In particular, BEV sales surged in China (+91%) and, despite a decline in Europe (-24%), BEV orders in Western Europe more than doubled compared to last year.

6. Our e-mobility ecosystem in Spain is growing!?

The future battery assembly plant near Martorell was visited by His Majesty King Felipe VI, signaling Spain's commitment to electrification.?

?? This plant will use cells from the PowerCo Gigafactory to produce 1,400 battery systems per day for our electric cars from Martorell.?

? SEAT S.A. is investing 300 million euros and creating 500 jobs by 2025. With 11,000 solar panels, it'll cover 70% of its energy needs.

?? The brand is also leading the "Electric Urban Car" project, investing 3 billion euros to democratize access to electric cars.

7. Empowering our team with the "You & AI" initiative!

"You & AI", led by Hauke Stars and our dedicated team, fosters a culture of dialogue and excitement about AI within the Volkswagen Group.

??This initiative provides valuable insights on AI training, ethics, regulation, and the latest AI news from across our Group.

?? Beyond information sharing, "You & AI" serves as a cross-functional platform, promoting collaboration and knowledge transfer across all AI initiatives.

Let's build on the momentum and drive forward with collaboration, innovation, and sustainability at the forefront of our efforts within the Volkswagen Group.

As we gear up for May's Diversity topic, join us in celebrating our latest achievements and stay tuned for exciting updates! ??