The Volkswagen Group plans to invest $ 30 billion in battery factories by 2030, but also tens of billions in a range of new models of electric cars.

Nicolas Barré takes stock of a current economic issue.

The revolution underway: Volkswagen, the world's leading automotive group, challenges Tesla and gives itself the means to become an electric car giant.

And the means, yes, are gigantic.

No car manufacturer had announced such strong ambitions.

The Volkswagen group, which has twelve brands (including Audi and especially Posche, its cash cows) plans to invest $ 30 billion by 2030 alone in battery factories, to which will be added tens of billions of dollars. 'investments in a whole range of new models.

The global diesel king, which has brought him the biggest scandal in the auto industry, wants to become the king of the electric car and what he is up to looks like a real tsunami.

We may wonder who is going to be able to keep up with the frantic pace.

In the automotive industry, we talk about the "silver wall" that will have to be crossed to carry out this electric revolution.

Few groups can afford to invest tens of billions of dollars in a few years.

Only Toyota has at least equivalent means and little, like Volkswagen, to rush into this gigantic transformation.

Volkswagen wants to sell 26 million electric cars by 2030. It is aiming for the world number one position.

Its boss Herbert Diess, the man of the switch from diesel to electric, estimates that by 2035, more than half of the cars will have an electric motor and 40% of the cars will run autonomously, hence investments also considerable in software.

It is also a challenge for new entrants to this market such as Tesla.

The match between the Ancients and the Moderns is not folded.

Tesla is certainly worth six times more than Volkswagen on the stock market.

But the German manufacturer has a more ambitious industrial vision in certain respects since it wants to produce 80% of its batteries internally within a few years.

No longer depend on Asian suppliers.

Keep the added value at home, on European soil.

Volkswagen wants to prove that the German auto industry has not finished dominating the world.

And he gives himself the means.