Volkswagen boss believes a Joe Biden election win would benefit automaker more
CEO Herbert Diess said the Democratic candidate's platform aligns better with VW's electrification strategy.
Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess stopped short of naming his preferred winner in the 2020 US election, but in remarks during a Bloomberg webcast Thursday, the executive said a win for former Vice President and Democratic challenger Joe Biden would better suit VW's strategy. With votes still being counted, the election remains too close to call.
"A Democrat program would be more aligned with our worldwide strategy to fight climate change to go electric," Diess said. VW declined to comment further.
He related this to the automaker's goals to introduce more electric cars in the US and noted the country has the weakest market share for battery-electric vehicles as it stands, compared to Europe or China. Biden has been outspoken about moving the US auto industry to focus on EVs and supports the construction of charging infrastructure. Both facets play into VW's goals.
Volkswagen is gearing up to launch its first EV in the US, the ID 4, but has a boatload of new electric cars coming -- including the highly anticipated production ID Buzz. A wagon, larger crossover and sedan are also on the automaker's radar and Volkswagen will start producing EVs in the US at its assembly plant in Tennessee.