The number of battery EVs that VW sold nearly doubled in 2021 to nearly 453,000 globally, vaulting it to No. 3 behind only Tesla and General Motors in pure EVs sold — and most of the latter's sales came from a Chinese joint venture. VW outpaced all other automakers, including Tesla, in European EV sales at 310,000 vehicles.

Tesla still sold more than twice as many pure EVs as VW did in 2021 — and EVs represented only 5% of the vehicles VW sold last year — but the shift in focus under Diess was important for the company's future plans.

"Herbert Diess played a key role in advancing the transformation of the company. The group and its brands are viable for the future; its innovative capabilities and earning power are strengthened," Hans Dieter Pötsch, chairman of the company's board, said in a statement. "Not only did he steer the company through extremely turbulent waters, but he also implemented a fundamentally new strategy."

But not all was rosy. While Volkswagen may be further along than most traditional automakers in the planned switch to electric vehicles, it has fallen further behind Toyota in the race for total vehicle sales — a key metric in this sector.

The number of battery EVs that VW sold nearly doubled in 2021 to nearly 453,000 globally, vaulting it to No. 3 behind only Tesla and General Motors in pure EVs sold — and most of the latter's sales came from a Chinese joint venture. VW outpaced all other automakers, including Tesla, in European EV sales at 310,000 vehicles.

Tesla still sold more than twice as many pure EVs as VW did in 2021 — and EVs represented only 5% of the vehicles VW sold last year — but the shift in focus under Diess was important for the company's future plans.

"Herbert Diess played a key role in advancing the transformation of the company. The group and its brands are viable for the future; its innovative capabilities and earning power are strengthened," Hans Dieter Pötsch, chairman of the company's board, said in a statement. "Not only did he steer the company through extremely turbulent waters, but he also implemented a fundamentally new strategy."

But not all was rosy. While Volkswagen may be further along than most traditional automakers in the planned switch to electric vehicles, it has fallen further behind Toyota in the race for total vehicle sales — a key metric in this sector.