“It is good for the future of diesel in the USA that a domestic producer also uses a diesel engine,” said Volkswagen’s R&D Chief Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg today. “If the volume of diesel engines is increasing, then it makes sense to produce diesel engines in the U.S.A. That would be great for us and the customer,” Hackenberg said.
Hackenberg spoke to a group of U.S. bloggers and traditional media reporters today in Wolfsburg.
Chevrolet puts a turbo diesel into a Chevrolet Cruze sold in America. The engine is used by Opel in Europe and is imported just like Volkswagen’s diesel engines.
Around 20 percent of Volkswagen cars sold in the US already have diesel engines. “With the Jetta Sportwagon, that rate is up to 80 percent.” At those volumes, it is beginning to make sense to buy components from a domestic supplier,” Hackenberg said. He thinks that adoption of diesel technologies by U.S. manufacturers would be positive for all involved.
Hackenberg is about to take the reins of Audi’s R&D. Hackenberg will also be chief R&D coordinator of the Volkswagen Group.
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