Part 2/8:
The Ambitious Drive for Growth
In 2007, Volkswagen achieved a remarkable €108 billion in revenue and produced 6.2 million cars, yet competition loomed large as rivals Toyota and General Motors manufactured 2 million more vehicles annually. As CEO Martin Winterkorn took office, he unveiled his audacious plan, “Strategy 2018,” aiming to produce 10 million cars annually by 2018 and achieve an 8% profit margin.
However, beneath the surface of this grand strategy lay a troubling reality. Although Winterkorn embraced the concept of sustainability, he remained skeptical of the electric vehicle (EV) movement, expressing concerns about “electro-hype” and the need for extensive research before venturing into EV production.