FACE THE CHANGE Go Electric “Our worlds of the future don’t focus on specific vehicle innovations. Rather, they concern the wishes and desires of people.” Dr. Daniel Kauer Head of Product and Platform Strategy, Volkswagen Group “The scenarios of the worlds of the future will be developed further and refined.” Dr. Axel Heinrich Head of Group Research, Volkswagen Group Volkswagen Group. San Francisco, Beijing, Mumbai and eastern Saxony serve as representative examples for many other regions on the planet. No blanket solution Numerous trends and factors were examined under the project led by Dr. Michael Müller and Bita Daryan. One such factor is urbanization. In 2050, around 80 percent of the world’s population will live in metropolitan areas – double the present figure. The impact of urbanization on traffic will be felt in both urban areas and rural regions. The economic and political framework, cultural trends, environmental aspects and innovative strength also play a role. “That means each type of city needs its own mobility solution,” explains Dr. Axel Heinrich, Head of Group Research at Volkswagen. Beijing, for example, will produce significant amounts of vertical growth, which is why vertical transportation is more important there. In contrast, San Francisco could give priority to adaptive vehicles – in other words, vehicles that modify themselves to a user’s needs and can become mobile offices or living rooms. In rural areas like eastern Saxony, shared mobility concepts could feature more prominently. Out of the lab and onto the road Group Future Heads, a network of some 200 experts from different fields and regions, bundles the expertise and knowledge in the project. The company is expanding its portfolio based on Futures of Mobility. Describing the approach, Kauer says, “Product, service and business models will no longer be segregated from one another. Instead they will be developed into a holistic mobility solution for our customers.” And the future is already defining the work of the Volkswagen Group. “We are already experiencing and shaping the change in many areas,” says Heinrich. “I’m talking about things like new drive technologies, new mobility services, or autonomous driving.” MORE ABOUT THIS ONLINE: Our videos at annualreport2017.volkswagenag.com 17
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