For the first time Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles delivers more than 500,000 vehicles worldwide in 2008

-Worldwide deliveries rose by 2.9 percent
-The market leadership in Europe has been extended

Hanover, 12th January 2009: For the first time in the company´s history, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has delivered more than half a million commercial vehicles in 2008. With 503,025 commercial vehicles delivered to customers, the brand increased its numbers by 2.9 percent compared to the previous year (2007: 488,726).
"Despite the difficult market trends in the second six months of the year we have achieved the best ever sales level in the history of our company, which we can be proud of, and rightly so," says Stephan Schaller, CEO of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. The brand achieved increases especially in its main markets of Europe and South America.

The T5 family was again the most sold product (Transporter and Multivan) resulting in 178,000 deliveries (2007: 191,200). The Caddy achieved a delivery result of 151,570 vehicles (2007:147,130). The Crafter also continued its positive development with 51,100 deliveries (2007: 46,160).

The models Saveiro and T2, manufactured in Brazil, rose to a total of 67,270 units (2007: 57,440). In 2008, the Truck & Bus category delivered 45,780 trucks (2007: 38.820) and 9,280 buses (2007: 7,960).

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles was able to further extend its market leadership in Europe delivering 332,372 light commercial vehicles and gaining an increase of 1.1 percent (2007: 328,766). The most important markets next to Germany, which had 124,850 deliveries, (increase of 2.3 percent) were in particular France (increase of 5.3 percent) and Italy (increase of 14.3 percent). In Central and East Europe, the deliveries rose by 22 percent to approximately 49,000 vehicles.

In South America deliveries rose by 18.6 percent to 119,100 light and heavy commercial vehicles delivered (2007: 100.440). In the main market of Brazil, 105,620 units were delivered – a rise of 23.7 percent compared to the previous year (85,370).

Harald Schomburg, member of the brand board of management of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles for sales and marketing: "Our customers continue to trust in the competence of our brand and models in these economically difficult times. This trust will also be our competitive advantage in the difficult year that lies ahead of us."

"Of course, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles cannot avoid the changed economic environment," emphasises Schaller. "However, we are holding on to our long-term goal of selling 750,000 light commercial vehicles in the year 2018." The new pick-up, further new products and the entry into new markets will continue to strengthen the course of the profitable growth of the brand in the coming years.

Look toward the future – Crafter BlueMotion study with AdBlue technology

-Crafter BlueMotion with high roof consumes just 9.1 liters on average
-Concept car already fulfills Euro-5 standard thanks to SCR catalytic converter with AdBlue technology

In a world premiere, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is presenting the Crafter BlueMotion concept vehicle at the International Automobile Show in Hanover (September 25 to October 02). For the first time, the company has applied the pioneering economical BlueMotion concept to a high-roof van of the 3.5 tonne class. Powered by a 80 kW / 109 PS strong common rail turbo-diesel, the Crafter BlueMotion as a panel van with high roof and long wheelbase (4.33 meter) consumes just 9.1 liters diesel per 100 kilometers on average. This value represents a savings of 1.0 liter compared to the production version. Of course, the van with its high-tech diesel engine satisfies the Euro-5 emissions standard that becomes law in Fall 2009.

Compared to the production vehicle, CO2 emissions were reduced by 10 percent to 241 g/km. Engine developers were able to lower nitrogen oxide emissions (NOx) by 43 percent. Making a significant contribution here is the SCR catalytic converter with AdBlue technology being implemented in a Crafter for the first time.

The engineers and designers of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles achieved these first-class fuel economy and emission values on two levels that merge under the BlueMotion badge. First level: aerodynamic optimization. Second and decisive level: high-tech powertrain and emissions control system. The concept car is also equipped with tire pressure monitoring and cruise control system, so that these parameters that have a significant impact on fuel economy can always be ideally calibrated too.

Furthermore, the engineers utilized regeneration – generation of electrical energy during braking – to reduce fuel consumption. Background: thanks to regeneration, battery recharging can be reduced in certain operating phases, or it may be deactivated entirely. Instead, the battery is efficiently recharged with “cost-free” braking energy in overrun operation. This specific energy management system saves on fuel. Use of a variable-control pump (VDP) for power steering also reduces fuel consumption.

The large frontal area of the Crafter’s structural design together with its high roof, made designers seek fine tuning in details. These details include a new radiator grille profile that gives the wind less surface area to catch hold of. In addition, a rear spoiler offers further aerodynamic improvements.

Modifications to the Crafter powertrain and a high-tech emissions control system had a crucial impact on the vehicle’s low fuel consumption and emission values and made it possible to decisively fulfill the Euro-5 standard.

Engine: Here Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles chose a common-rail five cylinder with 109 PS and 2,461 cm3 displacement. The production version of this 280 Newton-meter strong engine is paired with a 6-speed transmission and a diesel particulate filter as standard equipment. On the Crafter BlueMotion concept car, the engine – coupled to a rear axle with a high gear ratio (3.923:1, ECO axle) and a transmission optimized for fuel economy – is an engine version that was specially adapted, by internal
engine modifications, to a supplemental emission control system that utilizes a so-called SCR catalytic converter together with AdBlue technology.

The acronym SCR stands for “Selective Catalytic Reduction”, an internationally recognized term. “Selective” refers to the fact that this catalytic converter has a very special task: its purpose is to selectively convert nitrogen oxide (NOx) components of the exhaust gas to nitrogen and water without forming undesirable side products. It was developed precisely for this highly specialized task. Important: despite the SCR catalytic converter, in parallel the Crafter BlueMotion concept vehicle will be equipped with an oxidation catalytic converter and a diesel particulate filter.

Back to the SCR catalytic converter: conversion of the nitrogen oxides is accomplished by use of a synthetically produced, water-based urea solution by the name of AdBlue that is stored in an auxiliary tank on the Crafter. This substance consists of 32.5 percent urea and is continuously sprayed into the exhaust gas upstream of the SCR catalytic converter. It is metered according to the mass flow rate of the exhaust gas; engine management – informed by a NOx sensor downstream of the SCR catalytic converter – precisely controls the process.




Atomized into a fine vapor through a screen, the urea reacts in the SCR catalytic converter with the nitrogen oxides and splits them into nitrogen and water. The water-based AdBlue additive is nontoxic, odor-free and biodegradable.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles seeks continued growth with new products

Pictured left to right of screen VWCV Board Members Stephan Schaller (CEO), Dr Wolfgang Schreiber (Product & Development) and Harold Schomburg (Sales & Marketing).

• Five world premieres at IAA Commercial Vehicles
• New series: Volkswagen Pickup show car
• Worldwide deliveries up 9.3 per cent to end of August

Hanover, 23rd September 2008. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is presenting five world premieres at IAA Commercial Vehicles, including a preview of the Volkswagen Pickup which will be launched as the fourth new series of light commercial vehicles towards the end of 2009. The Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brand is on a growth track – deliveries to customers on a worldwide basis rose by 9.3 per cent to 343,100 light and heavy commercial vehicles by the end of August.
“New products, new markets, new technology – the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brand continues to experience sustainable and profitable growth”, emphasised Stephan Schaller, CEO of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles at today’s press conference.

The brand intends to increase its worldwide deliveries of light commercial vehicles to 800,000 units by 2018. According to Schaller, this growth is to be achieved by introducing new products and by developing variants of the existing product range, some of which can be seen for the first time at IAA Commercial Vehicles.

The most spectacular highlight of the trade fair from VWCV’s perspective is its first ever presentation of a Volkswagen Pickup show car. This adds a fourth series (in addition to Caddy, T5 and Crafter) to the brand's range of light commercial vehicles, which already boasts an extensive set of variants.

This means that Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles will be the first volume manufacturer in Europe to enter the 1-tonne Pickup segment, with its high growth global potential. According to Schaller, the key markets for the Volkswagen Pickup are the countries of South America – especially Brazil. He also sees South Africa, Australia and South East Asia as being important markets for this universally adaptable commercial vehicle. And the vehicle will also be introduced into the European market. Overall sales projections for the new Pickup amount to around 100,000 units per year.

Schaller was confident of achieving worldwide total deliveries of over 500,000 light and heavy commercial vehicles in 2008. He was optimistic of achieving this annual target, despite difficult economic conditions at the present time in certain European countries.

Schaller: “Markets are getting harder – but Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles will continue to grow this year.”

This is borne out by sales figures from the most significant markets.

• In Germany deliveries of vehicles in the Caddy, T5 and Crafter series grew by some 7.5 per cent between January and August – a total of approximately 79,800 vehicles.
• In Western Europe product delivery numbers grew by 3.2 per cent to 190,900 units.
• In the booming eastern European markets, deliveries rose by nearly 30 per cent to more than 32,900 light commercial vehicles. In Russia alone the brand sold 6,630 units, up 87 per cent.
• In South America deliveries of light and heavy commercial vehicles increased by around 25 per cent to 82,300 units.

The President of Volkswagen Trucks and Buses, Roberto Cortes, predicted that 2008 would see a new worldwide delivery record of 60,000 heavy commercial vehicles and buses. Volkswagen has been the market leader in Brazil for the last six years, and now has a market share of some 31.6 per cent.

In addition to the Volkswagen Pickup show car, the brand is presenting four other world premieres in Hall 12 at this year’s IAA Commercial Vehicles, taking place between 25th September and 2nd October.

• The Caddy 4MOTION opens another chapter in the success story of this series. With the sales launch planned perfectly for the start of winter, it will at last be possible to buy a delivery van with a permanent four-wheel drive option. In the Caddy 4MOTION, power is distributed via an electronically controlled latest generation Haldex gearbox.

• The Caddy PanAmericana Studie is a variant of the Caddy 4MOTION for globetrotters. With its 16 inch all-terrain wheels, off-road look and feel, not to mention its high-quality yet robust leather interior upholstery, the Caddy PanAmericana Studie turns heads.

• With the Caddy Life Style Edition, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is presenting the most exclusive series Caddy of all time – a top-of-the-range Caddy variant due to be launched in November 2008.

• Another world premiere is the Crafter BlueMotion Studie. This 3.5-tonne diesel estate has a fuel economy rate of 31.04 mpg and already complies with the Euro 5 emission standard due to come into force in autumn 2009.

As Schaller said, with the Volkswagen Pickup, with the world premieres and also with other models adapted to meet the needs of global growth markets, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is well positioned to continue along the track of profitable growth.