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News of September 04, 2002

Volkswagen as motor of innovation

Wolfsburg automobile manufacturer has highest number of patent applications

Wolfsburg - In 2001, the Volkswagen Group took pole position among automobile manufacturers for filed patent applications with effect in the Federal Republic of Germany. The Annual Report 2001 of the German Patent and Trade Mark Office, Munich, reports over 1,500 patent applications by the Wolfsburg automobile manufacturer. In the overall statistics, Volkswagen takes third place behind technology companies. In the State of Lower Saxony, the Volkswagen Group has a clear lead over all businesses listed in the statistics. Almost every second patent application comes from Wolfsburg.

A large share of innovations from the Group's research and development activities is already available on the market and incorporated in the Group's latest products. As many as 150 of the patent applications filed concerned the development of exhaust treatment systems for the latest generations of Volkswagen engines, especially for the petrol direct injection engines. Thanks to the new exhaust treatment systems, the vehicles comply with the Euro 4 standard, and petrol direct injection engines combine higher performance with lower consumption. These engines are currently available in Volkswagen Lupo, Polo, Golf and Bora models.

The Phaeton, Volkswagen's new top-class model, bears visual witness to one of the Group's innovations. The self-illuminating, counterfeit-safe rear number plate is the first of its kind in the world. The number plate consists of four layers with an electrically-operated, luminous film illuminating the entire surface.

The Research and Development Department of the Volkswagen Group in Wolfsburg has a workforce of 9,500 and includes a design centre, two climate wind tunnels, an acoustics centre, a test circuit with crash zone, and two halls where the effects of electromagnetic waves on vehicle electronics can be investigated. In addition, the Research and Development Department also operates a 11 sq km testing facility featuring test runs simulating all types of road surfaces and conditions. The Group has other development capacities in Ingolstadt/Germany, the Czech Republic, Spain, Brazil, Mexico and China.

(Sept. 03, 2002)

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