- VW cuts costs by eliminating free Porsche company cars for about 200 executives.
- The decision is met with lawsuits and protests from affected employees.
- Audi vehicles may become the new “premium” option for downgraded executives.
Company cars are a nice treat for employees, especially if they come from a premium brand. Unfortunately for high-ranked officials at Volkswagen, they can no longer have a free Porsche delivered on their driveway as part of the group-wide cost-cutting measures.
Sources within the VW Group whisper tales of expensive vehicles, Porsches included, being returned in a state that suggests they’d been dragged behind a rogue Autobahn monster truck. This blatant disrespect for company property simply wouldn’t fly amidst a billion-dollar savings program.
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A VW spokeswoman confirmed the news to the German newspaper Bild, stating, “Due to cost optimization … it is no longer possible to order a Porsche company car”. The decision reportedly impacts over 200 senior Volkswagen group employees in Wolfsburg, potentially saving the brand millions of dollars annually.
However, Porsche managers and board members still have the privilege of driving company cars from the esteemed Stuttgart brand. After all, these individuals are pivotal in shaping Porsche’s future and should experience its products firsthand.
At the start of the year, the affected parties received a letter from the Human Resources department, informing them of their reduced eligibility for high-end company cars. Understandably, some VW managers were displeased with the change.
Bild reports that lawsuits have been filed against the Porsche ban at the Braunschweig labor court. Furthermore, “several dozen” VW employees are contesting the cancellation of promised salary payments at the same court, protesting against the austerity measures.
Excluding Bugatti and Bentley, Porsche stands as the most expensive brand within the VW Group. Nevertheless, Audi offers numerous premium vehicles that are likely still accessible to the affected managers. According to a VW board member, these employees earn salaries hefty enough to purchase a Porsche on their own dime.
