Volkswagen is leading, together with Renault, the battle against the new anti-pollution regulations that the European Commission has raised, the Euro 7, and considers that the Government of Pedro Sánchez should be "especially belligerent" against the initiative that could make it more expensive, according to calculations of its engineers, the price of new vehicles at 2,000 euros on average and cause serious problems in the most modest models, such as the Polo. The president of the distribution area of the German group in Spain, Francisco Pérez Botello, considers that before proposing a regulation with restrictions, it would be necessary to bet on renewing the aging mobile fleet.
For the person in charge of Volkswagen, the problem is not in reducing the emissions of new cars but in "old cars". The Spanish fleet is made up of 25 million vehicles, of which more than 70% are old and, therefore, up to six times more polluting than newly manufactured ones. Pérez Botello has defended in the economic forum of the automobile group, held this Tuesday in Madrid, a "chain of renewal" that would consist of drivers of fourteen-year-old vehicles having seven-year-old cars, that those of seven drive four-year-old vehicles and that owners of four-year-old utility vehicles have newly manufactured cars. It is, in short, a 'renew plan' for the one who has requested the involvement of the Government.
“It is a win-win”, has defended the Volkswagen executive, since it would mean an immediate improvement for the environment. Pérez Botello has thus joined the demands of the brand's CEO, Oliver Blume, and Seat's chief executive, Wayne Griffits, who met with Sánchez in Moncloa a few days ago to discuss the negative consequences it would have for the industry of the automobile the implementation of the new rules on polluting emissions. The CEO of Renault, Luca de Meo, warned of the closure of four factories of the brand in Europe.
The president of the Volkswagen distribution area in Spain has also called for "making scientific and not ideological approaches", urging the Government to oppose the community regulations that must be approved unanimously by the 27. The automotive industry in Spain, recalled Pérez Botello represents 10% of the GDP and gives direct and indirect work to 10 million families. It is, therefore, of “strategic importance”.
In addition to this 'renew plan' to replace older vehicles, Volkswagen supports the proposal of the Anfac employers' association to favor an electrification of the park with measures promoted by the Government. The businessmen's plan was presented a few days ago by Griffits himself and it contemplates fiscal measures, such as the deduction of the entire VAT on the acquisition of hybrid or plug-in vehicles by companies and the self-employed; greater incentives for the acquisition of this type of car at the right time of purchase and an acceleration of the recharging infrastructure with a single window as Portugal has activated.
Volkswagen has confirmed the investment of 10,000 million in Spain for the next few years divided between the electrification of the Martorell and Navarra factories and the new Sagunt battery plant. In 2022, the group increased its market share in our country by 14.4% to 117,000 units sold. 9% of them were electric.
Looking to the future, Francisco Pérez Botello announced this Tuesday that Volkswagen will begin to implement the agency model this year in its commercial network to sell electric vehicles, abandoning the dealership format. In other words, distributors will receive a commission for each sale to which a bonus will be added for objectives. "Dealers are our best asset," said the president of the distribution area.
