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Hanover (dpa) - After the loss-making year 2020, the brand of light Volkswagen commercial vehicles (VWN) is hoping for the traction of new models, e-mobility and autonomous driving.
The division, headquartered in Hanover, accumulated a loss of 454 million euros in ongoing business last year - after a profit of 510 million euros in the previous year.
This was mainly due to the slump in demand during the Corona crisis, but also to the high costs of achieving a better CO2 balance and further investments.
CEO Carsten Intra wants to cast off the recent mixed numbers thanks to new projects as soon as possible, as he said on Thursday.
Temporarily "consciously accept negative results".
That has the reinsurance of the corporate headquarters in Wolfsburg.
VWN is in the middle of the transformation, the conversion of the offer is correspondingly expensive.
In the case of the brand's climate targets, which have not yet been met in 2020, “a significantly better result” is expected in the current year.
In addition, new models such as the T7 Multivan in June and - from next year - the fully electric VW ID.Buzz bus and the successor to the Amarok pick-up developed together with Ford are coming out.
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In the medium term, the Group's internal responsibility for autonomous driving and, from 2024, contract production of the luxury D-SUV in Hanover should strengthen the brand, says Intra: "In order to jump far, we have to make a start now."
The headquarters are gradually being converted for the construction of electric vehicles.
For the time being, however, the situation remains difficult: In 2020, VWN deliveries fell by almost a fifth to 372,000 cars, with increases only in the Middle East with Turkey.
Sales fell from 11.5 billion euros to 9.4 billion euros.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210325-99-964362 / 2