Volkswagen is still not out of the woods. The company faces criminal probes and hundreds, if not thousands, of lawsuits. The global situation is still moving against VW Group, where now there are some 10,000 VW car owners in the UK suing for compensation. Skepticism abounds about the company’s explanation that only a few technicians were involved without the knowledge of senior management.
To recast its image, Volkswagen is embracing emission-free vehicles and has an ambitious target to sell as many as 3 million electric cars a year by 2025, roughly a quarter of annual deliveries. To afford the investment in new technologies, including self-driving features, Volkswagen needs to wring concessions from its powerful unions, which are demanding job guarantees in return. Success depends on Volkswagen striking a balance between cleaning up the past and investing in the future.
At Volkswagen, the crisis opened doors for a real change of direction.
