Die Premiummarken um Audi und Porsche und die Leasingsparte VW Financial Services haben dem Volkswagen-Konzern trotz des fortgesetzten Chipmangels ein vergleichsweise gutes Jahresergebnis für 2022 gesichert. Wie der Autohersteller am Dienstagmorgen mitteilte, können die ertragsstarken Konzerntöchter einen zweistelligen Milliardenbetrag auf das Konto der Wolfsburger Zentrale überweisen.Zugleich will der VW-Konzern seine Investitionen für neue Elektromodelle und die Digitalisierung seiner Fahrzeuge erhöhen. Insgesamt plant Europas größter Autohersteller zwischen 2023 und 2027 Investitionen in Höhe von 180 Milliarden Euro. In der vorangegangenen Planungsrunde waren es noch 159 Milliarden Euro.
Mehr als zwei Drittel des angekündigten Investitionsvolumens werden in die beiden Zukunftsfelder Digitalisierung und Elektrifizierung fließen. In der vergangenen Fünfjahresplanung des VW-Konzerns waren es mit 56 Prozent noch deutlich weniger. Bereits 2025 soll jedes fünfte verkaufte Fahrzeug des Konzerns mit einem reinen Elektroantrieb ausgestattet sein. Rund 15 Milliarden Euro gehen an die Batterietochter PowerCo und in die eigene Rohstoffsicherung.
Zugleich muss Volkswagen in die letzte Generation seiner Verbrennungsmotoren investieren, deren Anteil nach 2025 deutlich abnehmen wird.
„2023 wird ein entscheidendes Jahr, um strategische Ziele umzusetzen und den Fortschritt des Konzerns zu beschleunigen“, sagte Konzernchef Oliver Blume, der zugleich Chef von Porsche ist, auf der Bilanzpressekonferenz in Berlin zu den Zielen des laufenden Jahres.
>>Read here how Volkswagen is strengthening its own competencies in electrical production
At the beginning of March, Volkswagen surprised with a comparatively optimistic outlook. Accordingly, sales should increase by ten to 15 percent in view of the high order backlog and the operating return should land in a range between 7.5 and 8.5 percent. In terms of net liquidity, the group is aiming for a value of between 35 and 40 billion euros. Volkswagen received around 20 billion euros from the Porsche IPO last year.
From the point of view of CEO Blume, the expansion of the electrical portfolio was the most important strategic change of the past year. “Battery electric vehicles accounted for a record seven percent of total deliveries. This is an important milestone on which we will build this year with our growing, attractive range of models,” said Blume.
The optimism spread by the group management in terms of electrical strategy is not necessarily shared on the stock exchange and among investors. “We believe that Volkswagen has largely lost its position as a pioneer in the field of electric technology,” said Patrick Hummel, UBS auto analyst.
Responsible for this is a sluggish implementation of their own strategy. Tesla and Chinese car manufacturers are represented on the market much faster with their new electric models. At the moment, the VW Group is still benefiting from its high order backlog in Europe. But in other important sales regions such as North America and China, there are not well-filled order books.
Porsche and Audi are better supplied
Last year, Volkswagen benefited from the strong results of its Group subsidiaries Audi and Porsche. The premium group around Audi, which also includes Lamborghini and Bentley, increased sales from 55.9 to 61.8 billion euros. At the same time, operating income increased from 5.9 to 7.6 billion euros, and the return climbed from 10.6 to 12.3 percent.
As in 2021, when semiconductors were missing everywhere in the automotive industry for the first time, the VW Group primarily served Audi and Porsche with chips last year. As a result, both brands were able to keep their sales figures relatively constant – and the income that is delivered to the group accordingly.
Porsche increased its operating return last year from 16.5 to 18.6 percent. After the IPO in September 2022, the sports car subsidiary presented its own balance sheet on Monday.
The leasing subsidiary VW Financial Services (VWFS) also makes a large contribution to earnings for the group. In 2022, this generated operating income of 5.7 billion euros, after six billion euros in the previous year. At that time, VWFS had benefited from the particularly high residual values of leasing returns. In the meantime, the residual values are slowly normalizing.
Volkswagen had already presented the annual figures for the entire group at the beginning of March. Sales increased by twelve percent to 279 billion euros in 2022. Net income after taxes was 15.8 billion euros, which corresponds to an increase of 2.6 percent.
Shareholders can expect a significantly higher payout. For the past year, they are to receive a dividend of EUR 8.70 per ordinary share and EUR 8.76 per preferred share, which is EUR 1.20 higher than in the previous year. This increases the payout ratio from 25.4 to 29.4 percent.
More: When will e-cars get cheaper? These models cost less than a corresponding combustion engine.