12 hours Ago By Michael Golson
VOLKSWAGEN has revealed two major car features that it is planning to upgrade – in a bid to keep drivers happy.The German giants reported a 15% year-on-year drop in annual operating profit earlier this week – citing “extraordinary expenses” linked to their restructuring strategy.AFPVW have identified two areas they must constantly develop to keep customers satisfied[/caption]AFPThe brand suffered losses in 2024 and a drop in sales[/caption]ReutersThe company’s kingpins, including Chief Financial Officer Arno Antlitz (right), said the company ‘can’t be happy’ with its current performance[/caption]Volkswagen IrelandTheir 2025 outlook ‘mirrors a challenging, competitive environment’[/caption]The company also reported a 3.
5% drop in vehicle sales in 2024 – pointing to the year’s “solid results in a challenging environment.”In the coming year, they discussed some of the challenges they face, including increasing competition, volatile commodity prices and emissions-related regulations.Speaking to CNBC’s Annette Weisbach, VW Chief Financial Officer Arno Antlitz said the company “can’t be happy” with its current performance.
He also mentioned two points that the company must do to keep its customers satisfied.He said: “We have great brands, Porsche, Lamborghini, Volkswagen — we have great products, and we have global scale.“And with these prerequisites, we should be able to do more.
”Antlitz added that the 2025 outlook “mirrors a challenging, competitive environment, but also a company and an industry in transition.”“We have to keep our combustion engine cars competitive for our customers.“We have to invest significantly in electrification, digitalization.
“We ramp up EVs, we ramp up software. “So these initiatives, they weigh on our financial [goals] in 2025, but should give us tailwind for 2026 and beyond.”The company’s strategy going forward is to maintain its 25% market share in Europe, maintain its share in China and grow its presence in America.
Like the majority of automakers across the world, VW is keeping President Donald Trump’s tariffs in mind, although they believe it is too early to say how their operations might be impacted.Antlitz said: “We are a global company. We opt for open markets, I’m sure you can imagine what we think about tariffs.
“What I can say is that we already feel like an American company — we operate a huge factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee.“We employ tens of thousands of people in Volkswagen Group of America.“We create thousands of jobs in South Carolina for Scout.
So we are an all-American company already, and we want to grow in the US”VW also recently revealed they are planning to bring back physical buttons to its cars, moving away from the recent trend of using sliders and touchscreen toggles.In recent years, cars have become increasingly tech-heavy, and many brands have faced criticism for their over-reliance on sleek new technology.For the most part, consumers seem to largely prefer traditional physical controls for adjusting things such as climate control.
Recently, the automaker’s design head Andreas Mindt said that the company “will never, ever make this mistake again” – as they promise to bring together physical controls.These will include controls for volume, heating, fan speed, and hazard light activation, all situated below the touchscreen of all cars – starting with next year’s ID 2all.Harley-Davidson closures in 2024There are over 650 Harley-Davidson dealerships across America.
However, multiple stores have closed for various reasons throughout 2024 – if they give any explanation at all.Below is a list of some Harley-Davidson locations that have shuttered this year and why they closed their doors:A San Francisco location closed in June 2024 after 110 years due to ‘chaos’ brought by new management.Miracle City Harley-Davidson in Titusville, Florida, closed in September 2024 with no reason given.
Harley-Davidson’s legacy location in New York City closed shop on September 28, 2024, with the owner citing problems with the economy.Reiman’s Harley-Davidson dealership in Kewanee, Illinois, closed its doors in October 2024 after the owners sold the business to the Walter Brothers Harley Davidson dealership in Peoria, Illinois.Another Illinois dealership closed in November 2024.
Plus, the dealership in West Bend, Wisconsin, is temporarily closing for the season from November 2 until April 1, 2024.In 2025, Hideout Harley-Davidson in Missouri announced it would shutter at the end of March..
