Volkswagen Group veteran Christian Vollmer, who grew to become VW model’s manufacturing chief in August 2020, is engaged on the most important reorganization in a long time on the firm’s house plant in Wolfsburg, Germany. Undertaking Trinity, which is creating a full-electric, self-driving flagship automotive, will remodel the plant right into a expertise hub for next-generation applied sciences, Vollmer instructed Automobilwoche, a sister publication of Automotive Information Europe.

You have been in Wolfsburg till 2005, then spent a very long time at VW’s operations in China. What has modified in Wolfsburg within the final 15 years?

My first shock was that due to the coronavirus pandemic there is no such thing as a longer the well-known site visitors jam on the A39. You now not have to depart Braunschweig [Brunswick] an hour early to reach on the plant on time. So, I used to be in Wolfsburg far too early for my first appointment. Quite a bit has definitely modified on the plant through the years, however lots continues to be acquainted to me. The Golf continues to be there, for instance, and the Tiguan is a brand new addition. And with every little thing we’re planning now, I assume that we are going to have better adjustments right here within the subsequent 5 years than in your entire final 15 years.

Your most vital venture is the Trinity flagship electrical automotive, which is scheduled to begin manufacturing in Wolfsburg in 2026. What does that imply for the situation?

The Trinity project will make Volkswagen’s foremost plant the flagship for state-of-the-art and totally networked automotive manufacturing. I sense an enthusiasm for the venture right here that I’ve by no means skilled earlier than in Wolfsburg. We have already got unsolicited functions from individuals who say: ‘I wish to be a part of this, be there from the start. Trinity will probably be cool, let me be a part of the staff.’ One thing actually new is being created right here.

What’s the standing of the venture?

We’re working flat out on Trinity, particularly our gross sales chief Klaus Zellmer, growth chief Thomas Ulbrich and VW model CEO Ralf Brandstätter. We’ve got a gathering each 14 days with a excessive board presence. In the meanwhile we’re within the discovery section, wherein all strategies — even loopy ones — are explicitly allowed. All concepts are placed on the desk, what we are able to do otherwise and the way, in an effort to construct a extremely revolutionary car. Trinity will probably be an actual beacon for the model and for your entire group. We’ve got nice concepts, and we’ll implement lots of them.

Brandstätter has spoken of revolutionary approaches in manufacturing and totally networked manufacturing. What is going to these be?

At present we now have the ID household of electrical vehicles on the MEB platform. Trinity will set new requirements, together with in manufacturing. Digitalization, automation in addition to light-weight building and aerodynamics play a very vital position. Utilizing new applied sciences, we now have the clear imaginative and prescient of lowering the manufacturing time per car to 10 hours.

How will this be achieved?

It would now not be the case that we weld a whole bunch of small sheet steel elements collectively, however we’ll work with massive elements. As well as, the Trinity may have considerably fewer variants with out the shopper lacking them. With fewer variants and extra widespread elements, the complexity in manufacturing decreases. Which means you’ll be able to construct shorter meeting traces and save prices. We now not want a lot area to arrange the various totally different elements. We’ll take the workforce together with us through the transformation and practice them for the brand new duties, in order that the roles in manufacturing are additionally made match for the long run.

Audi CEO Markus Duesmann has stated there will even be an Audi model of the Trinity. Will that even be in-built Wolfsburg? And maybe variations for different VW Group manufacturers?

The concept exists and we’re in talks about it. But it surely’s nonetheless at a really early stage. We’ve got solely simply began talks with the sister manufacturers.

You took workplace in the midst of the coronavirus disaster. How did that work out?

I used to be fortunate sufficient to come back to Germany in the summertime between the primary and second wave. I visited all of the places in Germany and in addition the Volkswagen plant in Bratislava. That was vital to me, to get to know the places and the workforce on web site. Then got here the second wave, and I needed to restrict my journey significantly. However I am trying ahead to hopefully having the ability to go to extra crops once more sooner or later — in South and North America, for instance.

How does that have an effect on your work?

That is an enormous problem, particularly within the start-up section of latest fashions. Prior to now, I merely flew there and spent the entire day in a pilot corridor to get an image of the state of preparations. Now it needs to be completed and not using a go to to the location. However we now have developed a extremely nice format. I name it “blended actuality collaboration.” I get elements despatched to my workplace every week prematurely — steering wheels, seats, headrests, middle consoles and lately even the entrance flap of a brand new mannequin. Then I’m nearly switched to the pilot corridor and we undergo every little thing. I will be there on web site nearly, however I even have the brand new elements in entrance of me to the touch and study. That works rather well. We will focus on and resolve every little thing collectively.

What different manufacturing priorities do you wish to set?

To begin with, I wish to promote the switch of data, which is considered one of my hobbies. In such a big community with 16 manufacturing websites worldwide, you don’t at all times should reinvent the wheel. You’ll be able to be taught from others and in addition should not be afraid of being copied. That is among the experiences I took with me from China. My assistant there as soon as instructed me: You should be proud once we copy you. What we do not copy is just not related to us. For me, this copying tradition is a vital lever for implementing good concepts extra shortly in all crops. And never simply on the Volkswagen model, however all through your entire mass-market manufacturers, which embody Seat, Skoda and Volkswagen Industrial Automobiles.

To learn the total Automobilwoche interview with Christian Vollmer, click on here.