{"id":12979,"date":"2021-11-04T17:27:31","date_gmt":"2021-11-04T21:27:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/autosector.com\/auto\/?p=12979"},"modified":"2021-11-04T17:27:31","modified_gmt":"2021-11-04T21:27:31","slug":"vw-ceo-ifacing-no-confidence-vote-after-telling-truth-need-to-go-electric-fast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=12979","title":{"rendered":"VW CEO is facing a no-confidence vote after telling the truth about the need to go electric fast"},"content":{"rendered":"

Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess is in hot water. He\u2019s apparently facing a no-confidence vote after pressure from the automaker\u2019s worker council over his comment about the need to go electric faster.<\/p>\n

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Diess is among the biggest proponents of accelerating electric vehicle adoption within the legacy auto industry.<\/p>\n

He has been vocal about his admiration of what Tesla is doing and has pushed for VW to follow Tesla\u2019s lead in many aspects.<\/p>\n

The CEO recently invited Elon Musk<\/a> to talk to his executives and managers in order to motivate them.<\/p>\n

He also said that the German automaker risks losing 30,000 jobs if it doesn\u2019t accelerate electric vehicle production.<\/p>\n

The comment and his constant comparisons to Tesla haven\u2019t gone down well with many people within Volkswagen.<\/p>\n

According to German reports, the concerns have now escalated to a board committee review following pressure from the company\u2019s worker council. <\/p>\n

It basically amounts to putting Diess up to a vote of no confidence even though the CEO received backing from the board for his electrification plan<\/a> less than a year ago.<\/p>\n

The CEO canceled a trip to the US in order to address the situation, and today, he gave a talk to employees amid the review.<\/p>\n

He said [via Auto News Europe<\/em><\/a>]:<\/p>\n

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I\u2019m being frequently asked why I keep comparing us with Tesla. I know this is annoying to some. Even if I no longer talk about Elon Musk, he will still be there and revolutionizes our industry and keeps getting more competitive quickly.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

About his comments that 30,000 jobs are at risk, Diess added:<\/p>\n

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Yes, I\u2019m worried about Wolfsburg. I want that your children and grandchildren can still have a secure job here with us in Wolfsburg. That\u2019s my point today. That\u2019s why I\u2019m here.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

While the situation is being framed as the worker council fighting Diess\u2019 electric push, the council insists that they support it, but they fear job losses in the process.<\/p>\n

For example, they complained about the company\u2019s capacity to secure chip supply, which has been less of an issue for Tesla.<\/p>\n

Electrek\u2019s Take<\/h2>\n

I don\u2019t get why they would blame Diess for saying that jobs are at risk. They are, and it\u2019s not his fault.<\/p>\n

Diess has been pushing for years to accelerate electric vehicle production at the company, and he has seen a lot of pushback.<\/p>\n

If VW doesn\u2019t accelerate its transition, it will find itself with a lot of stranded assets, and yes, jobs will go away.<\/p>\n

It sounds to me like Diess is trying to avoid that. I don\u2019t why pointing it out is an actual problem.<\/p>\n

Would they prefer if he kept his head in the sand? What am I missing?<\/p>\n

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FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.<\/em> More.<\/a><\/p>\n

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