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the Volkswagen brand with the key brand attributes of human centricity, simplicity and authenticity. With your career mainly developed in the automotive sector, can you tell us the most significant development you’ve witnessed thus far? It’s clear that the transition from internal combustion engines to electrical vehicles (EVs) is the strongest transformation that the automotive industry has ever undergone. At Volkswagen, that journey started a few years ago when the new electric-vehicle platform, or MEB as we call it, on which our EVs are based was developed and engineered. As we speak, the first Volkswagen EVs, which are part of our I.D. family, are being sold in several regions, and this is only the beginning. Additionally, I believe a significant development is the link between mobile phones and the automobile, where ultimately the car will become a smartphone on wheels. This is very interesting as we are witnessing the evolution of car manufacturers turning into complete mobility providers by developing these services and capabilities in addition to their core business of producing vehicles. Here again, Volkswagen is a pioneer with various initiatives globally. While this journey has only started, over time, cars will become a part of our own personal digital ecosystem.
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Volkswagen recently announced its first fully electric SUV with the new ID.4, as well as an electric vehicle pilot project with Uber in Berlin. What do you want people to know about VW's latest venture into the electric vehicle market? The partnership between Uber and Volkswagen is another initiative in supporting this commitment by operating our electric vehicles for “Uber Green;” the sustainable ride-hailing service. The car chosen for use in this project is the e-Golf, which we have very successfully and previously used for our car-sharing service, “We Share.” With this initiative, together with Uber we are improving air quality in urban areas. Volkswagen around the world is fully committed to the Paris Climate Agreement, and is therefore strongly investing in managing carbon emissions through the development of EVs. What are your views on the trends and future of electric cars? What is your assessment of the market readiness in terms of consumer acceptance and charging infrastructure? Customers acknowledge the environmental need for EVs and therefore desire to purchase them. However, we are facing a chicken-and-egg situation with the charging infrastructure. I believe the way to ease this is through a combined investment effort from both the private and the public sectors. In the Middle East, the situation is different market to market, 2021 JAN / FEB
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