VW Brand Restructures Product Development

Volkswagen AG has restructured product development operations for its VW brand to clearly define responsibility for each vehicle program under four unit chiefs.

The company notes that its previous structure scattered program responsibility across multiple divisions and model groups. Critics say the structure also helped enable VW’s massive diesel emission cheating scandal.

The new architecture, which took effect earlier this month, divides VW brand operations into four series. Their missions and leaders are:

            • Small, which is responsible for sedans and mini-SUVs between the Up! and Polo series. The unit is headed by Klaus-Gerhard Wolpert, former chief of product management for the VW brand.

            • Compact, which will handle Golf-class hatchbacks, sedans, wagons and SUV. Its leader is Karlheinz Hell, formerly group purchasing manager for electrics and electronics at VW.

            • Mid- and Fullsize. This unit, which takes responsibility for cars and SUVs sized between the Passat and Sharan, is headed by Elmar-Marius Licharz, the former director of product controlling for the VW brand.

            • BEV. All VW electric vehicles, including the e-Up!, e-Golf and future models, will be developed by this group, which is led by Christian Senger, ex-head of the automotive systems and technology division at Continental AG

VW also has created a new Strategy and Products Div. that will support each of the four groups by staging major product events and determining product lifecycles.