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On December 27, 1945 the serial production of the Volkswagen Limousine (Type 1) got started. This was the real beginning of the success story of the Volkswagen. The model had originally been planned as a prestige project of the National Socialists. But from 1939 onwards the Wolfsburg plant had produced armaments instead of vehicles. Up to the end of World War II, only 630 units of the model, which had been renamed “KdF-Wagen” in 1938, left the Volkswagen plant. It was only under British trusteeship that the unique success story of the VW Beetle began at Wolfsburg thanks to the strategic vision of Major Ivan Hirst.

Series production of the civilian Volkswagen, referred to internally as “Type 1”, which later became world-famous as the “Beetle”, only started following the end of World War II on December 27, 1945 under the trusteeship over Volkswagenwerk GmbH which had been assumed by the British Military Government in June 1945. The British intended to use the Volkswagen Type 1 to perform urgently needed transport tasks within their occupation zone. It was this British pragmatism that finally protected the plant against impending demolition. Senior Resident Officer Major Ivan Hirst played a key role in this development. It was his farsightedness and talent for improvisation that made it possible to start automobile production in the years of rationing under conditions dominated by shortages. With his enthusiasm for technology and cars, his purposefulness and distinct attitude, he succeeded in transforming a former armaments plant into a civilian industrial company in an impressively short space of time.

The British Military Government had already issued an order for 20,000 vehicles in August 1945. The start of production was a visible sign of a new beginning and hope at the factory which had been largely destroyed by the end of World War II. This solution was in line with later British policy for Germany, which saw financial security and future prospects for the population as key elements in the development of democratic structures. Finally, democracy finds its way into the Volkswagenwerk: on November 27, 1945 the the Works Council elected in a democratic ballot held its constituent meeting.

Nevertheless, there were considerable problems in supplying the workforce with food and living space and production was hampered by raw material and energy supply bottlenecks. Despite these difficult conditions, the first Volkswagen sedan left the production line shortly after Christmas. Wolfsburg and Volkswagenwerk GmbH received a belated Christmas present only eight months after the end of the war. By the end of 1945, 55 vehicles had been produced.

From 1946 up to the currency reform, about 1,000 vehicles were produced per month. It was not possible to produce more vehicles in view of material shortages and rationing as well as a lack of personnel. The trustees responsible laid the foundations for further growth of the company by the fall of 1949. They established a sales and after-sales service system and began to export the Volkswagen sedan in 1947.

The decision to develop a civilian factory and to start series production of the Volkswagen Type 1 was the starting point of a unique success story. Thanks to the early restart, the Volkswagenwerk GmbH got an excellent initial position for the economic upswing after the introduction of the D-Mark. Under the unofficial designation of “VW Beetle”, the car became more popular than almost any other automobile model throughout the world. It was also a record breaker in terms of production duration and volume. Volkswagen only discontinued production of the VW Beetle in Mexico in 2003, after 21,529,464 vehicles had been manufactured, including about 15.8 million in Germany.

Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com

The Arteon and Arteon Shooting Brake are the sporty avant-garde models among company and touring cars. In the product line revamped in autumn 2020, Volkswagen is now starting presales of the flagship models: the Arteon R and Arteon R Shooting Brake with a powerful and efficient 235 kW (320 PS) four-cylinder turbocharged engine (TSI). This high power is transferred to the four wheels by a new all-wheel drive system: 4MOTION with R-Performance Torque Vectoring. The fastback version with its coupé-style rear end costs 61.484,87 euros in Germany; prices for the Shooting Brake as a dynamic reinterpretation of the estate car start from 62,347,56 euros.

The power plant for the Arteon flagships designed by Volkswagen R is the EA888 evo4 – the latest evolutionary stage of a high-tech turbocharged engine. The fourth generation of this agile TSI combines the power development of a sports car engine with the efficiency of an ultra-modern downsizing unit. The 2.0-litre TSI already develops its maximum torque of 420 Nm at 2,100 rpm. The engine makes this power available at a constant level up to 5,350 rpm, and therefore offers a very wide rpm range. The TSI delivers its maximum output between 5,350 and 6,500 rpm. The power is transferred to the all-wheel drive system by means of a 7-speed dual clutch gearbox (DSG). The efficiency of this drive system is shown by the identical consumption values for both R models: 7.9 to 7.7 l/100 km (combined NEDC value).

The 320 PS TSI ensures superior performance. Both Arteon R models accelerate to 100 km/h in just 4.9 seconds; the drive power is electronically limited at 250 km/h. In combination with an optional R Performance package, the two Volkswagen models can be ordered with unlimited top speed; in this case it reaches 270 km/h. However, it is less the catalogue figures that define the Arteon R and Arteon R Shooting Brake. Instead, it is the outstanding torque level that shapes the character of these two Gran Turismo models: the continuously available drive power harmonises ideally with the exceptional long-distance driving characteristics. At the same time, the two Volkswagen models offer an outstanding level of pure driving dynamics thanks to their new all-wheel drive system and the newly tuned and standard adaptive chassis control (DCC).

The all-wheel drive system – 4MOTION with R-Performance Torque Vectoring – is equipped with selective wheel torque control. Here, a new rear axle drive distributes the power of the TSI not just between the front and rear axles, but also between the two rear wheels (torque vectoring). This noticeably increases agility, particularly when cornering. The driver can also influence the effect of torque vectoring and the stabilising driving dynamics systems via the standard driver profile selection and an almost continuously variable slider for the DCC running gear. The tyres were also specifically matched to the Arteon R models. The sportiest interaction of all drive and running gear parameters can be accessed directly by means of a blue R button on the multifunction sports steering wheel: the engine, gearbox, DCC running gear, steering and control systems are then switched to Race mode via the driving profile selection, instantaneously transforming the touring car into a sports car.

With their extensively customised design and exclusive equipment, the Arteon R and Arteon R Shooting Brake are very typical R models. The exterior equipment includes newly designed R bumpers (with distinctive air intakes at the front and a diffuser at the rear), mirror covers with a matt chrome look, an R logo projection at the front doors as part of the surround lighting, an 18-inch R Performance brake system with blue brake calipers (with R logo at the front) and 18-inch Sebring alloy wheels. Optional: the 19-inch Adelaide wheels and the 20-inch Estoril wheel rims. Make their presence known both optically and acoustically: the new standard sports exhaust system from Volkswagen R with two trapezoidal metal tailpipes each in the outer part of the diffuser.

The interior is enhanced by seats in black ArtVelours with R logo in the front seat backrests as well as the R multifunction sports steering wheel with large paddles for the DSG. Also standard: aluminium accents in Carbon look and an additional R layout for the digital instruments (Digital Cockpit). The blue typical for Volkswagen R is used as a contrasting colour for the decorative stitching on the seats, front armrest, gear lever cover and leather sports steering wheel. The inner area of the centre steering wheel clip is also finished in blue. The standard background lighting system can also be adjusted to a matching blue (as one of 30 colours). Sports seats with integrated head restraints (at the front) are optionally available; the seat cushion bolsters of these nappa carbon seats are upholstered in carbon-look leather.

Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com

Since 1950, the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand has been exporting vehicles dismantled into individual parts in order to assemble them in the destination country. This approach is referred to as “completely knocked down” (CKD). Initially, the approach was to open up new markets; nowadays, CKD also ensures supplies to Volkswagen’s global production network – and is a key factor in sales. To date, about 200 million vehicles have been exported to countries throughout the world. About 3 million further vehicles or parts are added every year. The first vehicle to be assembled from individual parts supplied in a box was the legendary Beetle.

The CKD approach may be adopted for a number of reasons; it may not be viable to build a factory in the country concerned, volumes may be too low for local production, the cost of new tooling for a local plant may be too high or customs and import regulations may call for this approach.

Wolfsburg is the nerve center

This is how it works: all the orders received from overseas plants are collected centrally in Wolfsburg. The supply management team ensures that the vehicle parts are available from the European plants and suppliers. The parts are then bundled and packaged at one of the eight distribution centers, loaded into containers and shipped by sea, rail or air to overseas countries and Russia, where they are assembled. At the distribution centers in Wolfsburg, Salzgitter and Kassel alone, a total of 660 employees work in this area. Other locations are Duisburg, Emden, Fallersleben, Wilhelmshaven and Martorell (Spain). These eight packaging centers ship a total of about 1.7 million cubic meters of goods every year, corresponding to about 25,000 overseas containers. From the receipt of an order, it takes about eight weeks before the vehicle is delivered in the destination country. All in all, about 90 different vehicle projects of overseas plants are supplied via CKD from Europe.

First the Beetle then the box

Everything started in 1950, when the first Beetle dismantled into individual parts arrived in Ireland. This was followed by deliveries to South Africa, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. Especially in South America, the assembly of CKD vehicles laid the foundation for the major production companies now operating there, such as Volkswagen do Brasil or Volkswagen de México. Nowadays, there are 27 assembly locations in 10 countries. The largest CKD assembly plant is located in South Africa; for example, the Polo for all right-hand-drive markets is assembled there. Another export bestseller is the Tiguan, which is also built from CKD kits in Russia and Mexico. Further plants are located in the USA, China, Brazil, Argentina, India, Malaysia and Indonesia.

From hand-packed to high-tech

Once, the parts were packed in boxes manually. Nowadays, high-tech systems are used. Highly advanced robotic systems provide support for loading the components at the distribution centers. They are equipped with a special hand attachment allowing them to grip vehicle parts of all shapes and sizes. This relieves the burden on the team, especially when packing heavy vehicle parts. Bots using artificial intelligence also simplify email communications with suppliers. They read the emails and react independently. For example, if a supplier responding to an enquiry indicates that a batch will be delivered in several consignments, this information is automatically detected by natural language processing (NLP) and directly transmitted to the SAP production management system.

Burkhard Hüsken, Head of CKD of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand: “We used to need only one or two faxes per week for coordination with the overseas plants. Nowadays, we work with our production plants on a real-time basis and manage about 9,000 part numbers for worldwide shipment. The tasks of our employees have changed fundamentally. They are no longer simply box packers but are now logistics data experts.

Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com

Volkswagen’s hybrid offensive is gaining even more momentum: the new Arteon and Arteon Shooting Brake are already available as plug-in hybrid models. Prices in Germany start from EUR 51,064.37 for the Arteon eHybrid with a hatchback and from EUR 51,927.06 for the Arteon Shooting Brake eHybrid. The avant-garde Volkswagen models impress in the business class segment with their own unique style and a high level of efficiency. Thanks to electric ranges of up to 59 kilometres (hatchback) and 57 kilometres (Shooting Brake), their drivers can achieve zero local emissions for the majority of their day-to-day trips.

The electric ranges of both Volkswagens are ideally tailored to the typical usage habits of the modern driver. Taking Germany as an example: according to a study published by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, 95 percent of all daily car journeys are shorter than 50 kilometres. As such, the majority of trips in Europe’s most populated country could be completed using the electric drive in the Arteon eHybrid and Arteon Shooting Brake eHybrid.

Zero local emissions at speeds up to 130 km/h: When using the electric motor – and therefore emitting zero local emissions – the two new Arteon models can drive at speeds up to 130 km/h. At higher speeds, the efficient four-cylinder TSI engine (turbocharged petrol engine) is activated on top.

A range of over 900 kilometres: Over medium to long distances, the electric motor helps to reduce the TSI's consumption as the hybrid system enables the petrol engine to be completely switched off on a recurrent basis. The energy required to provide electric support is recovered using brake energy recuperation during the journey. If the new Volkswagens start their journey with a fully charged (from a socket) lithium-ion battery and a full tank of fuel, they can achieve high combined ranges of more than 900 kilometres.

Fun behind the wheel thanks to electric booster: System power of 160 kW (218 PS) and system torque of 400 Nm create a superior driving performance. Both Arteon models accelerate from 0–100 km/h in just 7.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 222 km/h. However, it is the day-to-day performance that makes the difference: As soon as the vehicle is started, the electric motor delivers a high level of torque straight away; in conjunction with the TSI, it also acts like an electric booster. The plug-in hybrid system is also extremely quiet.

eHybrid available as “Elegance” and “R-Line”: The Arteon eHybrid and Arteon Shooting Brake will be offered in the two premium specification packages, Elegance and R-Line. Elegance offers an emphatically sophisticated configuration, while R-Line focuses on dynamics. On the outside, both packages feature their own individual 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights including Light Assist (automatic main-beam control), dynamic turn signal in the LED tail light clusters, and individual front aprons.

Alcantara, leather, genuine wood and chic metals: On the inside, the standard equipment is enhanced by seat covers in Alcantara/leather, genuine wood (Elegance) or metal applications (R-Line), aluminium-look pedal caps, and touch islands on the leather multifunction steering wheel. What is more, both specification packages leave the factory with details including driving profile selection, seat heating in the front, and a front and rear parking aid (Park Assist).

Assisted and connected: In general, every Arteon is also equipped with Adaptive Cruise Control ACC, Autonomous Emergency Braking Front Assist, Dynamic Road Sign Display, and progressive steering that is as sporty as it is comfortable. The standard interior equipment package comes with Digital Cockpit Pro (digital instruments), an 8.0-inch Infotainment system with a navigation function (Discover Media) and DAB+ (digital radio) and illuminated touch sliders for the electronically controlled automatic air conditioner.

Article source: www.volkswagen-newsroom.com