Volkswagen Group has announced a major restructuring of its software unit, CARIAD, with a new boss set to take over on June 1. Peter Bosch, former chief of production at Bentley, will replace Dirk Hilgenberg as head of the troubled unit. Bosch, who previously worked for Volkswagen before joining Bentley in 2017, is widely credited with turning around the fortunes of the luxury carmaker. His appointment comes amid ongoing software development issues that have delayed the launch of several new electric vehicles from the Group.
See also: Volkswagen cooperate with Bosch to develop electric vehicles software
CARIAD’s initial plans to introduce Level 4 autonomous driving by the end of 2026 have now been pushed back to 2030 due to ongoing development issues. To address these challenges, VW CEO Oliver Blume plans to completely restructure the CARIAD organization, with a greater emphasis on strategic partnerships. Last year, Volkswagen Group agreed to partner with Horizon Robotics, a leading Chinese autonomous driving company, in a €2 billion joint venture.
Bosch’s appointment follows the trend of VW poaching top managers from Bentley who have a proven track record of turning things around. Andreas Mint, former Director of Design at Bentley, was put in charge of VW’s design efforts. The hope is that Bosch will be able to bring the same level of success to CARIAD that he brought to Bentley.
See also: Lightyear Announces Fresh Start After Restructuring and Approval from Bankruptcy Administrator
As the electric vehicle revolution gathers pace, VW is acutely aware that it needs to sort out its software situation or risk being left behind. By restructuring CARIAD and emphasizing partnerships, the company hopes to speed up development and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market. Only time will tell if these changes will be enough to secure VW’s place at the forefront of the EV revolution.
