The brutal 'takedown' of Volkswagen against Tesla

Executive chairman of Volkswagen attacks the business model of Tesla.

Just a few days ago a forum on the future of the automotive industry was held in Germany, in which Matthias Müller, CEO of Volkswagen, took part. Müller seized the opportunity to make statements in which he lashed out at Tesla for its low production and sales figures. The CEO of the German brand claimed that the American company sells barely 80,000 units a year, while Volkswagen reaches 11 million. This is the second attack Tesla has received from another manufacturer in the last month: Fiat had already criticised the American brand and electric cars just a few days ago.

Stating at the start of his remarks that he did not want to name names, the CEO of Volkswagen began by praising the numbers his company achieves each year. “With all due respect, there are some companies that sell barely 80,000 vehicles a year. Then there are companies like Volkswagen that sell 11 million cars this year and generate a profit of 13 or 14 billion euros,” said Müller.

But then his speech changed and the darts were aimed directly at Elon Musk’s company: “If I am correctly informed, Tesla loses millions of dollars every quarter and also lays off its workers. We should not get carried away and compare apples with oranges,” concluded the CEO of Volkswagen.

Tesla, in the spotlight for delays and layoffs

It is true that the CEO’s statements come after a difficult few weeks for the electric vehicle brand, which has been harshly criticised for the slow production of the Model 3 and the dismissal of between 400 and 700 workers at its factories. In addition, Elon Musk himself confirmed for the second time the delay in the launch of the new electric truck from Tesla until 16 November.

This is not the first time Müller has mentioned the electric car company, since a few weeks ago the CEO of Volkswagen stated in an interview with the BBC that he does not see the American brand as a threat to his future plans. The German company will soon become one of the most direct rivals of Tesla, following the launch of the ID Buzz electric microbus concept and its intention to offer at least 30 fully electric vehicles before 2025.