Speaking on the eve of the Frankfurt Motor Show, Winterkorn said that the group already had the broadest electric fleet in the automobile world, and added that Volkswagen was also at the forefront when it came to the future-orientated field of digitization. 

"Our Group already has the largest connected vehicle fleet on the road. By 2020 we will have transformed all of our new cars into smartphones on wheels,” he added. 

His comments came as the group takes off the wraps of its latest plug-in concepts, including the Porsche Mission E and the Audi e-tron quattro concept, both of which bring an all-electric range of 500 kilometers, plus the Volkswagen Tiguan GTE which Winterkon said embodies "our determination to systematically take the plug-in hybrid to further classes and segments." 

The group is also showcasing concepts and technologies for charging electric cars such as "V-Charge" (Volkswagen) and "Turbo Charging" (Porsche). 

Winterkorn also called on policymakers for changes, saying: "We have the right cars. Now what is needed is the right framework for this key technology to really catch on."