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VW's Winterkorn tells 20,000 staffers of big cost-cutting plans

During a gathering of 20,000 Volkswagen Group employees at company headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany on Wednesday, CEO Martin Winterkorn dropped a bombshell. The boss stated that the automaker isn't operating efficiently enough and admitted the company needs to radically start cutting back to raise its profit margins. To right the ship, Winterkorn has proposed killing off less profitable models and spending less on research and development.
According to Reuters, Winterkorn wants to raise the VW brand's profit margin from about 2.9 percent in 2013 to a target of 6 percent. To make that possible, his plan amounts to increasing cost cutting until Volkswagen reaches about 5 billion euros ($6.7 billion) per year to get things back in order. "Over the short-term, we urgently need more efficiency and higher profit," the CEO said during his speech, according to Reuters.
However, Winterkorn can't make these decisions unilaterally. Volkswagen's works council also has a seat on the supervisory board to represent laborers, and it isn't likely to take the proposed cuts sitting down.

2015 VW e-Golf gets cheaper Limited Editon, starts at $33,450*

Typically when an automaker announces a new limited edition of one of its models, it comes at a premium. Maybe the extra cost turns out to be worth it due to bundled options, but there's almost always a cost. But not with the new Volkswagen e-Golf Limited Edition. For this model, VW has gone the opposite direction by cutting equipment out of the electric hatchback and charging less for it. Compared to the SEL Premium model, the Limited Edition of the e-Golf drops the alloys in favor of 16-inch steel wheels, halogen headlights in place of LEDs, cloth upholstery instead of leatherette, and drops the heat-pump system. As a result, the e-Golf costs $2,000 less, priced at $33,450 (*before delivery) and available to lease for $229 per month. For that, you still get the electric motor with 199 pound-feet of torque, 24.2 kWh lithium-ion battery and 7.2 kW onboard charger and class-leading energy consumption. VOLKSWAGEN ANNOUNCES A NEW TRIM LINE FOR THE FULLY-ELECTRIC 2015 e-GOLF - e-Golf Limited Edition model goes on sale with a starting price of $33,450 - Drivetrain consists of 24.2 kWh lithium-ion battery and an electric motor with 199 pound-feet of torque; 7.2 kW onboard charger is standard - Standard fast charging capability allows up to 80 percent battery charge in 30 minutes - EPA estimated fuel economy rating of 116 combined MPGe puts e-Golf at top of the 2015 EPA Compact Size Class - A great value, with a host of features that include KESSY® Keyless access with push-button start, navigation system, LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL) with C-shaped light signature, and more Herndon, VA – Volkswagen of America, Inc., today, announced that a lower-priced version of the fully-electric 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf will go on sale at participating dealerships. The 2015 e-Golf Limited Edition is priced nearly $2,000 less than its SEL counterpart at $33,450, without compromising performance, quality, or versatility. The e-Golf Limited Edition is also available at a monthly lease price of $229, plus applicable fees. The e-Golf Limited Edition is built on the same sporty Modular Transverse Matrix (MQB) platform as the rest of the award-winning Golf family. It is powered by a compact electric motor and a 24.2 kWh lithium-ion battery (built in-house at the Volkswagen facility in Braunschweig, Germany), and offers 115 horsepower and class-leading torque of 199 pound feet.

Volkswagen incorporating gesture control into updated Golf

For many, the Volkswagen Golf is the epitome of the accessible mode of transportation. It is the "People's Car," after all. Yet in its next iteration, it's slated to get some trick high-end tech on board. Speaking with Auto Express, VW powertrain chief Dr. Heinz-Jakob Neusser revealed that the upcoming facelifted Golf will include gesture control technology. "The interior features a preview of future VW interior technologies, with smartphone applications redefined for automotive use," Neusser told AE. "The gesture control will become reality in the Golf at the end of next year." The feature is being rolled out by other automakers on decidedly more upscale offerings (like the next-gen BMW 7 Series), but look poised to democratize the technology on the far more accessible Golf as soon as next year when the updated model arrives. VW demonstrated the tech at CES with the Golf R Touch concept, which is making an encore appearance at CES Asia in Shanghai this week, where Neusser confirmed the features are slated for production. The VW Golf R Touch concept incorporated a trio of oversized infotainment displays measuring 12.8, 12.3 and 8 inches, as well as gesture-control technology and all the latest smartphone connectivity standards – including Microsoft MirrorLink, Apple CarPlay and Google's Android Auto.