The Supervisory Board of the Volkswagen Group has approved its Together 2025+ strategy, which will shift the brand’s focus and resources toward electrification. The announcement, made today, also clarified that several luxury brands, including Lamborghini, Bentley, and Ducati, will remain under the Volkswagen umbrella, putting to rest speculation about potential sales or spin-offs.
As part of this new strategy, Bentley will come under Audi’s management starting March 1, 2021. This change is intended to enhance collaboration between Bentley and Audi regarding their electrification initiatives. It’s noteworthy that Lamborghini and Ducati are already operating under Audi AG, effectively consolidating most of Volkswagen Group’s non-Porsche luxury brands into a single division.
However, the future of Bugatti remains uncertain, as it wasn’t mentioned in the announcement. A representative for Bugatti declined to comment on any speculation, stating, “we don’t participate in or comment on rumors or speculations around our brand or its products.” Currently, Bugatti has a unique connection to Lamborghini, as Bugatti President Stephan Winkelmann has recently taken on the role of president and CEO at Lamborghini. Earlier this year, there were reports suggesting that Rimac, known for its electric supercars, was interested in acquiring Bugatti.
Despite these developments, it is unlikely that Lamborghini or Bugatti will spearhead Volkswagen’s electrification efforts. Winkelmann stated just last week that both brands will continue to prioritize internal combustion engines “for as long as possible.”
Through this restructuring, Volkswagen aims to decrease its fixed costs by 5% by 2023 and cut its material costs by 7% within the next two years..
