GENEVA - VW statement on the future for its environmental policies

• Corresponds to average fuel consumption of less than 4 litres
• Group already offers 245 models under 120 g/km, 36 under 100 g/km
• Energy and water consumption pervehicle produced cut by 10 percent in two years
• Winterkorn: “Ecological restructuring proceeding to schedule”

Before the opening of the Geneva Motor Show, the Volkswagen Group reiterated its strategic goal of becoming the world’s most environmentally sustainable automaker by 2018. In the run-up to the show, the Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft,

Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, said that the Group’s ecological restructuring, also announced in Geneva a year ago, is “proceeding to schedule”. He added: “We are orienting Volkswagen towards maximum energy and resource efficiency. We are well on our way to making our Group the world’s leading automaker in environmental terms.”

The Volkswagen Group is now setting itself even more ambitious targets: “Volkswagen is committing to reducing the CO₂ output of theEuropean new car fleet to 95 grams per kilometre by 2020.” This makes the Volkswagen Group the very first automaker to commit to this ambitious target. According to Winterkorn: “That corresponds to a fuel consumption of less than 4 litres – across all segments and vehicle classes.This is a Herculean task calling for the best efforts of all our 40,000 developers. We can do it.” Winterkorn also stated that Volkswagen would reach its self-imposed target of reducing the CO₂ output of its European newvehicle fleet to less than 120 gram per kilometre by 2015. Volkswagen intends to outperform by more than 12 gram the figure required by law for its vehicle fleet.

The Group is not speculating on any loopholes to achieve its target. Winterkorn underscored that “now is the time to initiate innovations so that efficient technologies and alternative powertrains can be widely used faster. I am convinced this is in the best interests of customers, the environment and Europe as an industrial location.” That is why Volkswagen is advocating credits of the type which are normal practice in the USA andChina for especially eco-friendly vehicles to be introducedin Europe, too.

The Volkswagen Group already offers its customers 245 model variants with emissions of less than 120 grams CO₂ /km, over 60 percent more than two years ago. And 36 model variants already have emissions below 100 grams CO₂ /km, almost 40 percent more than in 2011. Winterkorn: “Our one-litre car, the XL1, is a technological spearhead. With fuel consumption of 0.83 litres and 21 grams CO₂ per kilometre, the XL1 sets new long-term standards in the automotive industry. The technologies used in the XL1 find their way into our series vehicles. That applies in particular to plug-in hybrid technology, which we are systematically pursuing.”

Winterkorn underlined that thedevelopment of increasingly efficient technologies, powertrains and vehicles and environmentally sustainable production would account for more than two thirds of the total investment of €50.2 billion planned by the Group up to 2015. The Group was moving forward “in leaps and bounds”towards its ambitious target of making all 100 production facilities throughout the world 25%more environmentally compatible by 2018.

In terms of the key indicators for energy and water consumption, waste production, and CO₂ and solvent emissions, the Group has on average made environmental savings of 10 percent per vehicle produced over thepast two years.