The Prime Minister of Lower Saxony also sits on the Volkswagen Supervisory Board.
(Photo: dpa)
Berlin Lower Saxony’s Prime Minister Stephan Weil has spoken out against a new name for the VW Group. “Volkswagen will remain Volkswagen,” said the SPD politician, who is also a member of the VW supervisory board, to the Handelsblatt. Changing the company name is out of the question for him.
Weil is reacting to the considerations of CEO Herbert Diess. He commissioned a team to find a completely new name for the car manufacturer – initially just as an example. First, the “Manager Magazin” reported about it. Accordingly, it remains open whether the considerations will also be implemented.
A possible renaming of the entire company has repeatedly been an issue in Wolfsburg in recent years. The reason is that the group and core brand have the same name. Volkswagen Passenger Cars, manufacturer of the Golf and Passat, is the largest brand in terms of volume. The other subsidiaries such as Audi, Seat, Skoda, Porsche or Traton are pushed into the background in public perception when it comes to corporate matters.
Diess’ considerations make sense, as the board is currently reviewing the management structure. One problem here is that the brand and the group are not separate under company law. In the past, the Executive Board has always rejected plans for a clearer division, as this could result in high costs.
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Like Weil, the VW works council also rejected a new name. “Our group is called Volkswagen. And it will stay that way,” said a spokesman for the committee.
Diess caused unrest in Wolfsburg with his plans. But there are plenty of examples for renaming. Internet giant Google has renamed its parent company Alphabet and Facebook its Meta Platforms. The procedure is also known in the automotive industry: the brands Fiat, PSA and Chrysler are now coming together under the Stellantis umbrella.
More: VW boss Diess rejects criticism of the Cariad software unit.