For the second consecutive time, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV) realised an increase in earnings of around half a billion euros in 2022. It finished the year with an operating profit of €529 million. Sales also rose again, reaching 11.5 billion euros (prior year €9.9 billion) despite a slight decline in units shipped.
The highlight of 2022 was the market launch of the ID. Buzz, an electric vehicle (EV) with full connectivity. In just a few months, it won practically every media, audience and design award.
The ID. Buzz is also the platform on which VWCV is further developing autonomous driving and the production vehicle will be presented in 2025. In 2022, the new Amarok also celebrated its world premiere, seamlessly following its predecessor as a premium pick-up with many new technical updates.
Global vehicle deliveries by VWCV fell back to 328,600 units in 2022 (prior year 359,500) but market shares in key regions increased substantially. In Europe, for instance, by 1.5 percentage points to a current share of nearly 13 per cent. In particular, market share in the company’s home market of Germany grew to over 23 per cent, where deliveries also increased to more than 98,000 vehicles (growth compared to the prior year: 8 per cent).
Thanks to the market launches of the ID. Buzz and ID. Buzz Cargo, VWCV boosted its deliveries of all-electric vehicles to 7,500 – more than twice as many as in the prior year. Strong demand for products from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles also remained on a high level in 2022; orders received reached a record high of nearly 300,000 vehicles.
ID. Buzz defines 2022 like no other vehicle
Pre-sales of the ID. Buzz Pro and ID. Buzz Cargo were extremely successful in 2022 with more than 21,000 orders received. To date, more than 32,000 vehicles have already been sold.
Carsten Intra, Chairman of the Brand Executive Board, said: “The ID. Buzz is a technology platform and a likeable vehicle all in one. Wherever it appears, people turn their heads and are visibly delighted. It is this enthusiasm of our customers that is making VWCV strong. This vehicle also has what it takes to turn customers into fans.”
10-point plan for 2023
Carsten Intra presented a 10-point plan for the current year. Its concrete targets and actions contribute to the GRIP 2030 corporate strategy. These include further electrification of the VWCV vehicle fleet. In summer 2023, the ID. Buzz with a long wheelbase will be presented.
The electric Bulli will return to the North American market in this version. After the Multivan, the Caddy will be the next to be offered as a PHEV – that is, in a hybrid version. In future, the battery-electric offering from the Ford-Volkswagen alliance will be expanded through the addition of a van in the one-tonne payload segment.
VWCV will build out the great success of its California model range by adding digital features and services to create a “California Universe” – bundling everything related to its business with camping models. Over the course of this year, VWCV will also present the next generation California based on the Multivan.
Another focus in 2023 will be implementing the ‘autonomous driving’ strategy. Following Volkswagen’s decision in 2022 to discontinue investment in ARGO AI for the development of autonomous driving, VWCV will be taking forward its original plans with a new partner.
Intra said: “We will be presenting the production version of our ID. Buzz AD vehicles to you in 2025. Initially, they will be used at MOIA in Hamburg. Other cities in Germany and the USA will follow.
“Sustainability is not just an agenda item in our programme; it is actually the foundation for everything that we do. We want to actively do our part to contribute towards handing over an intact foundation to future generations for living and working. This is our vision and our responsibility.
“In the current year, we want to transfer this insight into a comprehensive strategy known as the ‘ESG strategy’ for the areas of Environment, Social Responsibility and Governance.
“We are Europe’s top supplier of commercial vehicles. We are Europe’s number one for families and leisure. And in the enormous market for autonomous mobility solutions we are in pole position. In short: VWCV is on course.”
