The Porsche brand is Germany’s most profitable car maker and the cash cow of the group. It has a 16 percent profit margin which it aims to boost to over 20 percent in coming years.
Blume will take over from Diess at the helm of VW Group to establish a “leadership culture that makes teamwork a top priority,” VW said.
That is something Diess has struggled with.
It is unclear whether Blume’s consensus-driven approach will succeed with Volkswagen’s powerful works council, which has been a constant source of trouble for Diess in his attempts to push through reform.
It also remains to be seen whether Blume will be as much of an electrification purist as Diess, who advocated for focusing exclusively on battery-electric vehicles.
Though Blume has overseen the production of Porsche’s first full-electric vehicle, the Taycan, he has also shown interest in other low-carbon technologies, investing in a wind-powered e-fuels production facility in Patagonia.
