#Software

In the future, digital products based on artificial intelligence (AI) will play a key role for the Volkswagen Group. New infotainment and navigation applications, high-performance speech recognition, extended vehicle functions and the deep integration of digital ecosystems in the car will bring considerable benefits to customers, enhancing the product experience. This is why Volkswagen has established a specialized “AI Lab”. The company will act as a globally networked competence center and incubator. AI Lab will identify new product ideas for the Volkswagen Group, and coordinate them internally within the Group. As the need arises, this will also include collaboration with the tech sector in Europe, China and North America. By adopting this approach, the Volkswagen Group intends to simplify collaboration with technology companies with a view to making optimum use of the innovation potential and speed of the AI sector. The objective is to rapidly develop digital prototypes and transfer them to the Group brands for implementation.

With the Group strategy NEW AUTO – Mobility for generations to come, we are preparing ourselves for the global changes in mobility and thus playing a substantial role in driving Volkswagen’s transformation into a software-oriented company.

Porsche and Google are expanding their collaboration with the goal of enabling even deeper integration of Google services in Porsche vehicles.

The Volkswagen Group has made decisive progress in its four industry-leading technology platforms. It is also tapping into highly attractive additional profit pools as part of its transformation from legacy automaker to integrated mobility provider by further expanding its sustainable mobility business. At the Group's press conference at IAA Mobility in Munich, CEO Oliver Blume said: "We are making good progress. And faster than planned. We have reached numerous milestones, set important strategic directions and achieved joint successes. We are systematically driving forward the transformation along our ten-point plan and consistently developing further attractive profit pools in the area of sustainable mobility."

Volkswagen AG today announced the foundation of Volkswagen Autonomy GmbH (VWAT GmbH) with headquarters in Munich and Wolfsburg. Another subsidary in Silicon Valley will follow in 2020. A further subsidiary is planned in China in 2021. As a centre of excellence for autonomous driving from Level 4, VWAT will serve to build up know-how within the Group and bring a self-driving system (SDS) to market maturity. The company will be managed by Alexander Hitzinger, Senior Vice President for autonomous driving in the Volkswagen Group and Member of the Volkswagen Brand Board of Management responsible for Technical Development at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV). VWCV in Hanover is the leading brand within the Group for Autonomous Driving, Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS), and Transport-as-a-Service (TaaS).

Volkswagen Group Research is testing automated vehicles in urban traffic in Hamburg. This is the first time Volkswagen has begun to test automated driving to Level 4 at real driving conditions in a major German city. From now, a fleet of five e-Golf, equipped with laser scanners, cameras, ultrasonic sensors and radars, will drive on a three-kilometer section of the digital test bed for automated and connected driving in the Hanseatic city. The results of the test drives, which will be continuously evaluated taking full account of all data protection rules, will be incorporated in the Group’s numerous research projects on automated driving, and will test customer-centric services and optimize individual transport.