Volkswagen

London – September 18, 2026 -- Volkswagen has retained the No. 1 spot on the 2026 Fortune 500 Europe list with $363 billion in revenue, up 3%, widening its lead over Shell after the energy giant's revenue fell 5% to rank second.

UK overtakes Germany in company count for the first time

Britain now hosts 76 of the ranked firms, edging past Germany's 73 and France's 66, marking the first shift in national dominance since the list launched four years ago.

Combined revenues hit $15.5 trillion, equal to 13% of world GDP

Aggregate revenue across the 500 companies rose 4% year-on-year, representing half of Europe's GDP. Profits rebounded 3% to just over $1 trillion after a 5% decline the previous year, though overall profit margin slipped to 6.5% from a 2024 high of 7.1%.

Berlin – September 15, 2026 -- The Alternative for Germany (AfD) channels growing economic discontent among workers into a political program that leaves corporate profits and wealth accumulation untouched, according to a commentary published by nd.DerTag.

AfD absorbs worker frustration while shielding capital from redistribution demands

The commentary argues that AfD support concentrates among people experiencing or fearing material hardship, a hardship rooted in decades of policy that prioritized corporate and national competitiveness over wages. Rather than channeling this frustration into demands for higher pay or wealth redistribution, the AfD directs it toward migration and political opponents, while pursuing tax relief for high earners so extensive that economists have questioned its fiscal viability.

Osnabrück – September 08, 2026 -- Volkswagen's cost-cutting program will not be enough to pull the automaker out of its crisis, according to Stefan Bratzel, director of the Center of Automotive Management (CAM) in Bergisch Gladbach. "Savings alone will not save Volkswagen," Bratzel told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung (NOZ).

Bratzel says two plant closures would suffice, not four

While VW must cut costs "drastically and quickly" due to mounting overcapacity at its domestic plants, Bratzel called the planned closure of four German sites excessive. "Two locations should be enough," he said, adding that job cuts combined with longer working hours without pay compensation could help lower production costs.

Frankfurt – September 07, 2026 -- BYD has climbed to fifth place among the most attractive electric vehicle brands for German consumers actively planning a purchase within the next three years, up from 11th place in the general population, according to a new BearingPoint study.

BYD outperforms among active buyers while legacy brands hold overall lead

Across the full sample, Volkswagen leads brand attractiveness at 31%, followed by Audi at 29% and BMW at 28%. Among the subset of consumers with concrete purchase intent, BMW tops the ranking at 44%, ahead of Audi at 31% and Volkswagen at 30%. BYD scores 20% in this group, surpassing Kia, Hyundai, Ford, Tesla and Skoda.

Beijing – September 03, 2026 -- China's auto market posted more than 100 all-new models in the first half of 2026, with gasoline-powered vehicles accounting for less than 20 percent of new launches, as new-energy vehicles (NEVs) cemented their dominance over combustion engines.

NEV retail penetration hits 65.1 percent in July, sustaining a shift begun in late 2025

Monthly NEV retail penetration crossed 50 percent at the end of 2025 and stayed above 60 percent from April through July 2026, reaching 65.1 percent in July. More than 80 percent of gasoline-car owners now choose an NEV when replacing their vehicle, even as gasoline-vehicle prices have been cut sharply.