this highly emotional product to let you
SUSTAINABLE MANUFACTURING The VWoA factory in Chattanooga, TN, which produced its first customer car in April 2011, is an example of the company’s sustainability strategy, which also encompasses VW products, green energy supply, and environmental initiatives, among other elements. The Chattanooga plant is the only auto factory in the world that has LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program, Michel noted.
When it comes to manufacturing, we are moving forward in a sustainable manner, the-art factory in Chattanooga, TN: This is the only auto factory in the world that U.S. Green Building Council. Besides our products and their production, our Think Blue philosophy also encompasses: green energy supply, such as solar power and wind energy; environmental initiatives such as helping to preserve wolf habitats; and encouraging bicycle use with initia- tives like Bikes Belong.
run intensive clinics where customers critique future products. We get feed- back from auto shows and in the growing social media space; we have more than a million fans on Facebook, so we get feed- back there, too.
Importantly, we cooperate closely with our dealers here in the U.S. and have installed a rotating Dealer Product Com- mittee consisting of 10 dealers from all over the country at any one time. This committee provides very valuable feed- back from the showrooms, which we include in our product strategy. And we think that our 500,000-plus employees are, to use an analogy to the Army, our troops, who are super-critical of what we do, so we survey their reactions and ideas. Besides the important information we can gather, being inclusive with the workforce this is a clear win-win.
When it comes to quality, we closely cooperate with JD Power and Associates, and we look critically at feedback from such as Consumer Reports and Edmunds. com, and the enthusiast media such as Motor Trend and Car and Driver.
Q. Environmental standards are an impor- tant consideration for any automaker and are increasingly important to consumers as well as regulators. Volkswagen’s Think Blue® philosophy is one example of how Volkswagen has responded to both com- munities. The TDI Clean Diesel Passat is another. How does Volkswagen keep up with the demand for cleaner products and more sustainable operations?
A. Clean Diesel is an important and unique selling point in the U.S. for VW, and we will continue to increase its share and roll out the technology to more products in the portfolio. But at the same time, we are working intensively to improve the gas mileage of our gasoline-engined vehicles and on bringing hybrids and alternative propulsion—such as plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles—to market.
The key to us is acceptance by a broad range of customers. Therefore you will always friendly but at the same time fun-to-drive vehicles. Perhaps the best example is the New Generation Beetle Coupe with the TDI engine, which will be introduced in the market this summer. The TDI engine’s great torque characteristics combine with
Q. Volkswagen aims to be the leading automaker by 2018. For 2011, the com- pany was No. 2, behind General Motors. As someone who has worked for GM and now is a member of the Volkswagen leadership, what do you think is going to move Volkswagen ahead of GM?
A. We have a leadership that is heav- ily engaged in vehicle development and believes in striving to create and produce the best cars, with no compromise when - ity, and quality. The VW Group is also unique in that it has a portfolio of brands that spans the demands of customers in all markets and all segments of those mar- kets: We are the only manufacturer that has sustained success with multiple brands, all the way from Skoda up to super-luxury brands like Bentley and Bugatti.
In times when the world economy was in trouble and everyone was cutting it to keep on track with its R&D. All the fruits of this thinking have yet to be seen, although the new modular tool-kit strategy is an example: While others have platforms, we are already at the next level.
ASC.ARMY.MIL 87
CRITICAL THINKING
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170
