{
  "id": 13731021,
  "title": "Volkswagen CEO says transformation is ’shared responsibility’ in appeal to EU",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/11/volkswagen-ceo-says-transformation-is-shared-responsibility-in-appeal",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-11T14:00:36.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Investing.com",
    "slug": "investing-com",
    "url": "https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/volkswagen-ceo-says-transformation-is-shared-responsibility-in-appeal-to-eu-4942704"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Volkswagen's CEO, Oliver Blume, has emphasized that the company's transformation is a \"shared responsibility\" in an appeal to EU policymakers. At an event titled \"For Europe\" ahead of the Paris motor show, Blume outlined Volkswagen's efforts to reduce complexity across its diverse range of brands, from mass-market VW to luxury marques like Porsche and Lamborghini. He emphasized that this is the company's biggest transformation program in history.\n\nBlume stressed that while Volkswagen must become more competitive and create attractive opportunities, policymakers must also establish the right framework conditions for the company's success. The Paris motor show comes at a critical juncture for the German automaker, which is undergoing major restructuring and racing to update its mass-market electric vehicle (EV) offering. Chinese competitors are rapidly gaining ground in Europe, leading Volkswagen to battle job cuts and even threatening to close up to four plants in Germany.\n\nIn addition to downsizing, Blume faces pressure from investors to demonstrate that his turnaround strategy extends beyond cost-cutting to include product development and software advancements. Volkswagen, Europe's top-selling automaker with roughly a quarter of the market share for the past decade, is feeling the heat from Chinese automakers like BYD and Leapmotor. The company has been pushing for a more protectionist EU stance, citing fears of retaliatory measures from Beijing and the spread of brutal competition in China to Europe.\n\nEU-China negotiations could see Chinese imports of plug-in hybrid vehicles to the bloc cut by more than half, according to Blume, who backed proposed local content rules to incentivize manufacturing in Europe. Industry analyst Gregor Williams from Rhodium Group noted that the auto industry has become increasingly concerned about the competitive challenge posed by China, particularly as China's domestic auto market downturn creates export pressure. Williams added that if China successfully exports the price war, the European market could become very unprofitable.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}