In the 2017 fiscal year Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles delivered 497,900 vehicles worldwide, setting a new record. This means that the Volkswagen Group brand responsible for light commercial vehicles, people movers, motorhomes and pick-ups once again reported an increase in deliveries (+4.2 per cent). The T model range, the Caddy and the Amarok pick-up recorded a considerable rise in deliveries.
Heinz-Jürgen Löw, Member of the Brand Board of Management responsible for Sales and Marketing, says: “We would like to thank our customers for the great trust they once again placed in our products in 2017. Of course we want to continue precisely meeting their needs with our products.” And he continues: “The increased delivery volume is also thanks to our efficient sales network and the motivated sales team worldwide.”
He looks forward to 2018 with confidence: “The e-Crafter opens up additional opportunities in the urban delivery and service sector.” Since December 2017 the vehicle has been undergoing final real-world tests at selected large customers and it will be launched in Europe in the second half of the year.
Deliveries by markets:
Worldwide deliveries to customers rose by 4.2 per cent compared with the previous year to 497,900 vehicles (2016: 478,000). In Western Europe including Germany deliveries increased by 1.5 per cent to 332,000 vehicles (2016: 327,200). In Eastern Europe deliveries climbed by 13.0 per cent in 2017 to 41,200 vehicles (2016: 36,400).
In South America deliveries increased by 28.1 per cent with 41,300 vehicles. In the region of North America (Mexico) Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles increased deliveries by 23.0 per cent to 10,400 units. In the Asia-Pacific region the delivery volume grew by 20.7 per cent to 26,300 vehicles.
The markets in Africa (-0.9 per cent to 16,100 vehicles) and the Middle East (-13.9 per cent to 30,600 vehicles) recorded declines in vehicle deliveries in 2017 due to the volatile market situation.
Deliveries by model range:
Deliveries of the T model range grew by 3.8 per cent worldwide to 206,100 deliveries (2016: 198,600), making it the brand’s highest volume model range. Deliveries of the Caddy rose by 2.2 per cent to 165,900 vehicles (2016: 162,400). The Amarok recorded a delivery increase of 14.0 per cent to 78,900 vehicles (2016: 69,200). In the start-up year 47,000 Crafter vehicles were delivered – 1.8 percent below the previous year (2016: 47,900).
Around 495,000 vehicles built:
Record production figures for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles in 2017
- Josef Baumert, Member of the Board of Management responsible for Production and Logistics: “The renewed increases in production are indicative of highly efficient sites and motivated employees.”
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV) produced around 495,000 vehicles (exact figure: 494,511) in 2017, thus setting a new record. Compared to the previous best figure in 2016, the brand succeeded in increasing the number of vehicles made by around another 3.8 per cent. A significant increase in production numbers was recorded by the T-series and Caddy and also by the Amarok pick-up.
Dr Josef Baumert, Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles responsible for Production and Logistics: “The figure of around 495,000 vehicles built and thus the renewed increases in production volumes are indicative of highly efficient sites and motivated employees around the globe. Digital transformation and close integration, further improved working conditions for our workforce and increasing automation are visibly raising production and logistics to a new level.” Baumert stressed that the new record was thus also the result of continuously optimised manufacturing processes at all VWCV production sites. The Września plant had also recently been crowned ‘2017 Factory of the Year’ in Poland.
The development of further production sites as part of the internationalisation strategy was progressing well, he emphasised. Following Caddy production in Algeria, manufacture of the Amarok had recently begun with a local partner in Ecuador. Negotiations were on the agenda for 2018 with partners in further countries.
Despite the increased level of production, the impact on the environment from the manufacture of vehicles had been reduced in the period from 2010 to the end of June 2017 by almost 45 per cent in Hannover and at all factories in total by nearly 38 per cent, added Baumert.
MODEL OVERVIEW: T-series, Caddy, Amarok and Crafter successful
208,427 T6 vehicles were produced at the sites in Hannover (175,290) and Poznań, Poland (33,137) in 2017 – in total the highest number produced for 44 years. Compared to the record prior year the new figure means an increase once again of 4.5 per cent.
There was considerable growth in Caddy production as well: in 2017, the Poznań plant turned out 164,668 vehicles – the highest number since Volkswagen Poznań was set up in 1993. The year-on-year increase in the number of Caddy vehicles produced in 2017 was thus another 3.8 per cent.
Another vehicle to record a clear increase in production numbers in 2017 was the Amarok, with 81,177 vehicles produced (+28.1 per cent). Of these 25,501 vehicles (+52.6 per cent) were made in Hannover, 54,813 (+17.5 per cent) in Pacheco (Argentina) and 863 at the new Quito site in Ecuador (using CKD production methods).
36,348 Crafter vehicles were produced in the first year since the start of production, with 3,891 MAN TGE vehicles also being made.
PLANT OVERVIEW: Production up significantly in Hannover and Poznań
At the main plant in Hannover 200,826 vehicles were produced in 2017 (up +5.9 per cent year-on-year and the highest figure in 44 years). This included the first e-Crafter vehicles, production of which began at the plant late in the year.
Excellent figures were also achieved at the Polish site in Poznań: in total in 2017, 197,805 vehicles were produced there (up +6.8 per cent on the year before and a new record).
Production at the new Polish site in Września totalled over 40,000 units.
The workforce in Pacheco built 54,813 Amarok vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 17.5 per cent, in Quito 863 Amarok.
GLOBAL OVERVIEW: vehicles produced in the year:
- 208,427 T-series vehicles (199,486 in 2016; +4.5 per cent)
- 164,668 vehicles of the Caddy product line (158,598 in 2016;
- +3.8 per cent)
- 81,177 vehicles of the Amarok product line (63,367 in 2016;
- +28.1 per cent)
- 40,239 vehicles of the new Crafter product line (incl. MAN TGE)