Desperate to fix their brand problems following the recent emission cheating scandal Volkswagen is set to use CES 2016 to launch an electric car.
Dr. Herbert Diess, chairman, board of management, for Volkswagen Passenger Cars, has been added to the keynote address roster of CES 2016.
We suspect that his speech won’t involve diesel or cheating or scandals or emissions tests.
According to the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), which owns and produces the show, Diess will use the CES stage to launch an all-electric concept car while focusing his remarks on electric mobility driving the automotive market.
CES 2016 runs Jan. 6-9, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Diess’ keynote is scheduled for 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 5, at the Cosmopolitan’s Chelsea Theatre.
“We welcome Herbert Diess to CES to share Volkswagen’s vision for the future, including the company’s commitment to sustainability,” said Gary Shapiro, president/CEO, CTA. “We are pleased Volkswagen will use the CES stage to unveil a concept car displaying its latest developments in safe and energy-efficient electric vehicles consistent with VW’s long history of innovation in the driving experience.”
Diess was appointed a member of the board of management of Volkswagen AG and chairman of the board of management of Volkswagen Passenger Cars in 2015. Prior to joining Volkswagen, he was a member of the board of management of BMW AG. He joined BMW in 1996.
“CES is a celebration of diverse ideas. Our stage is open to those who bring innovation and can showcase how technology is changing the world, at times open even to those who bring controversy,” said Shapiro. “When we agreed to a Volkswagen keynote earlier this year, we, along with the world, did not know much about emissions testing, but after talking with Dr. Diess I felt the CES audience would be interested in his vision and curious about his plans for a new type of sustainable car. Now, VW has an opportunity at CES to show the world its designs for the future and how the company views electric mobility and sustainability.”
The latest advancements in automotive technology will be a major theme at CES 2016, with more than 115 automotive tech companies and nine automakers debuting products. Automotive exhibits will cover more than 200,000 net square feet of exhibit space, a 25 percent increase over the 2015 CES. The show will feature the hottest auto tech trends from parking assistance, collision avoidance and emergency braking, to the latest in driverless, electric and energy-efficient vehicles, CTA said.
Diess joins a line-up of CES 2016 keynote speakers that includes Intel’s Brian Krzanich, Netflix’s Reed Hastings, GM’s Mary Barra, Samsung’s Dr. WP Hong, YouTube’s Robert Kyncl, NBC Universal’s Steve Burke and Fitbit’s James Park.
