Let’s take a closer look at another new model for a moment: Why does the new Crafter appeal so much to fleet customers?

Andreas Zenk: I think the Crafter is already the best vehicle in its segment. It is now being systematically improved even further by the inclusion of various product enhancements. The new free-standing dashboard makes it much easier for customers to use all of the digitalisation features offered by the vehicle. As a result of legal regulations like the UN-ECE and the GSR II, a large number of standard features that offer real added value during daily operations has been added to the model.

What role will the Multivan and ID. Buzz play in Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ future fleet strategy?

Andreas Zenk: That’s easy to answer: Both vehicles are perfectly designed to meet the individual needs of the user group called user-choosers and offer maximum room and variability.

What does the roadmap for the introduction of other plug-in hybrid and electric models look like?

Andreas Zenk: In addition to the Multivan, the Caddy can be ordered as a plug-in hybrid starting in the second half of the year.

Konrad Wagner: Looking farther ahead into the future, I would like to mention our planned e-platform called “Space,” something that will represent a real milestone both for us and our customers. We will use our all-electric SPACE vehicle family to shape the future of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. It will be based on our own modular commercial vehicle system that will enable use to efficiently design commercial vehicles for commercial and private target groups. In taking this step, we will move forcefully forward on our strategic path towards the electrification of our vehicle fleet and the reduction of CO₂ emissions. Based on current planning, we will develop and make the all-electric Crafter as the first vehicle in the SPACE vehicle family.

The number of market players, in particular for electric vehicles, is growing and thus the selection for customers …

Andreas Zenk: It is true that the range of light electric commercial vehicles is rather limited in comparison with passenger car segments. With the help of our e-strategy and upcoming models, we have improved our positioning step by step.

Regardless of whether you are talking about e-vehicles, internal combustion engines or plug-in hybrids: Why should fleet customers choose Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles in the first place?

Andreas Zenk: Let me mention two reasons. As part of the Volkswagen Group, we can devise the right vehicle offer to meet individual fleet needs. We can also put together an attractive overall package in Germany: We have a wide network of dealers that is much more closely knit than the networks of other market players. We offer very good after-sales solutions and are becoming digitalised on step-by-step basis. We are also working in close cooperation with reliable modification partners and body manufacturers in Germany. Customers get everything they need from a single source: Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

Konrad Wagner: Our customers’ needs are extremely wide and differ from country to country – for example, business conditions in Scandinavia differ from those in southern Europe. We search for the best solutions for our customers across all sales steps.

How is digitalisation changing interaction with customers?

Konrad Wagner: Vehicle digitalisation and the provision of an appropriate digital eco-system are elementary. This involves both seamless interaction by customers with us as a brand and with our products and services. In future, we plan to enable our B2B customers to manage their fleets more efficiently and better meet their individual needs. Let me expand on this for a minute.

Our Connect Pro is a comprehensive portal for fleet management. With the help of such functions as over-the-air updates, real-time localisation, infotainment services and intelligent maintenance management, it facilitates smooth management of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle fleets.

Looking ahead, we are working on interfaces that fleet customers can use to integrate selected vehicle data into their existing fleet management systems without using other telematic solutions. One other possibility is to expand the interface for managing selected vehicle functions. These areas are becoming more and more relevant for our customers, and we will now roll out these services step by step.

Andreas Zenk: Let me mention something else in this regard: Thanks to central monitoring and management of vehicles, down times can be reduced and fleet operational readiness increased. When a company car breaks down, this is naturally an unpleasant experience for the user. But the vehicle is fairly easy to replace. But you face a different challenge if you are talking about a vehicle modification job done in the service centre. Our services are designed to effectively reduce downtime, something that is a major plus for customers.

How do current and future legal changes, particularly those in the area of emission policy, impact the fleet strategy of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles?

Andreas Zenk: One thing is clear about regulations: We need reliable and binding requirements from political leaders. The automotive industry is long cyclic, and we cannot rethink our decisions every three or four years. We have invested large sums of money and are working to make every new vehicle in Europe all electric starting in 2035. For us at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, this means that we must remain committed to our electric strategy. In this phase of transformation, one of our customers’ top priorities is for us to offer a flexible range of drive systems because, first, regions around the world are developing at different paces and, second, use by our customers varies. Such factors as range, capacity and towing capacity currently are the critical areas when customers select a drive system concept. Let’s say a customer is looking for a vehicle with 3.5 tons of unladen weight, maximum range and maximum capacity. Such customers currently tend to select an internal combustion engine. But if you are talking about urban delivery transports, an electric vehicle will most likely better meet your needs.

Konrad Wagner: You can probably sum things up this way: We find the right solution for every customer. If the usage profile is not suited for an electric solution at the moment, we will find an alternative in our line of drive systems that will facilitate the transition.

Both of you can look back on many years of experience in sales at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles – how are you experiencing the transformation of the fleet business and what do you expect to see in coming months?

Andreas Zenk: You feel a tremendous dynamism, both in terms of technical developments and the market situation and thus the challenges that arise as a result. We have to find new answers to the needs of our fleet customers over and over again. Amid all of these changes, we should do nothing that would upset our most critically important success factor: our loyal and trusting relationship with our customers and our dealership partners.

Konrad Wagner: The last few years were particularly challenging for well-known reasons. But I think that we are seeing a significant improvement and are returning to normality, a normality that includes different business conditions and requirements. It is our job to build these new factors into our offerings and remain a reliable partner at the same time. We are looking forward to the future – and I think our customers are, too.