Mathilde Carlier
Research Expert covering transportation and logistics
Volkswagen Group - Statistics & Facts
The Volkswagen Group is one of the world's leading vehicle manufacturing companies. In 2023, its namesake brand Volkswagen held six percent of the global automotive market, second only to Japan-based Toyota. That same year, its luxury brand Audi ranked among the ten most valuable brands in the automotive sector along with Porsche, another one of the manufacturer's brands. As of June 2024, Audi was valued at seven billion U.S. dollars, with Porsche recording a valuation of 16.7 billion. The group's 2023 financial performance reflects its position among the global automotive leaders: Between 2006 and 2023, Volkswagen AG had more than tripled its sales revenue. However, the group's deliveries were still recovering from global market disruptions. While 2023 deliveries grew by close to 11.8 percent year-over-year, they still came over one million units short of the pre-pandemic peak recorded in 2019.
In 2023, the Audi Progressive Brand Group was the manufacturer's second leading segment in terms of sales, representing some 23.6 percent of the VW Group's vehicle sales revenue. The Audi Progressive Brand Group's contribution to Volkswagen Group's financial performance was only outweighed by Volkswagen Passenger Cars, the company's eponymous brand, which was the best-selling car brand in the European Union in 2023.
Volkswagen shifts its fuel type strategy
As of September 30, 2015, it was confirmed that some five million Volkswagen-branded cars, 2.1 million Audi vehicles, 1.2 million Škoda automobiles, 700,000 SEAT cars, and 1.8 million VW commercial vehicles were fitted with a defeat device in their engines. These 10.8 million vehicles were thus affected by the Volkswagen emissions scandal. Eight years on, the company is invested in new drivetrain technologies. Volkswagen aimed to expand its electric car model range and tap into the growing European market for electric vehicles. This innovation is possible through the steady increase in its research and development spending to nearly 21.8 billion euros in 2023. That same year, the manufacturer had increased its global battery-electric vehicle sales across most brands. This spike was partly through the success of its ID.4 model, which came twelfth among the best-selling plug-in electric vehicles worldwide in 2023, making it the first European model in the ranking. Electric commercial vehicles were the manufacturer's least popular in terms of alternative fuel, with MAN recording nearly 1,100 sales of battery-electric trucks in 2023. That year, the group also increased its investments in artificial intelligence, which led to the establishment of its specialized AI Lab in January 2024. This launch came after Volkswagen Group presented its first vehicles with ChatGPT integration at CES 2024.Volkswagen's most successful brands
Although Volkswagen is the group's most prolific marque, the automotive company has acquired several other brands over the last few years. Volkswagen's most notable brands include Audi, SEAT, Porsche, and Škoda. The automaker also finalized a deal to acquire U.S.-based Navistar to its commercial vehicle segment in 2022 and owns Scania and MAN, two European manufacturers of commercial vehicles and engines. The Volkswagen Group also holds stakes in the Ducati motorcycle brand.In 2023, the Audi Progressive Brand Group was the manufacturer's second leading segment in terms of sales, representing some 23.6 percent of the VW Group's vehicle sales revenue. The Audi Progressive Brand Group's contribution to Volkswagen Group's financial performance was only outweighed by Volkswagen Passenger Cars, the company's eponymous brand, which was the best-selling car brand in the European Union in 2023.
