Volkswagen to change official language to English
German car maker hopes move will attract more international expertise, encourage a global perspective and prevent another Dieselgate
Troubled car company Volkswagen has finally found a new way to convince people it is a proper international organisation and no longer a regional German giant. It has changed its official language to English. Traditionally the most German-focused of all of Germany’s seven major car makers, VW started moving towards English by making it the official language of its commercial vehicle group before moving the entire company over from now, locking it in by 2021. Still reeling from the scandal, investigation into and fines from Dieselgate, VW has made the move to try to attract more international expertise as it moves towards both electric and autonomous technologies. It is also yet another move that would have been impossible under old boss, Martin Winterkorn, whose English was poor, though even current Volkswagen Group chairman Matthias Mueller has frequent difficulties with it. It is a far cry from the premium German brands, with BMW’s chairman Harald Krueger and Daimler’s boss Dieter...
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