JIUTEPEC, MOR.- The discussion about  sustainable mobility  also involves thoroughly understanding the  technology  that makes it possible. From the type of batteries to how vehicles operate, the challenge lies not only in adopting new solutions, but in using them efficiently.

Within the framework of the 4th Meeting on Technology and Sustainable Mobility, organized by the  National Association of Private Transport (ANTP) , Manuel Fernández, Product Engineer of  Volkswagen Truck & Bus Mexico , explained that the development of technologies such as lithium-ion batteries is not recent, but the result of decades of evolution.

“It’s not something so new… it started thanks to the oil problem in the 70s,” he noted.

The specialist pointed out that lithium has become the dominant material in batteries due to its physical and chemical properties, which allow large amounts of energy to be stored in less weight.

“It’s the lightest… it allows us to have a large amount of voltage in a very small volume,” he said.

These characteristics have been key to their adoption in  electric vehicles , including cargo vehicles, where weight and energy efficiency are critical factors.

Electric last mile: power and range

As part of its presentation, the brand exemplified its proposal for urban distribution based on its Delivery  line and its evolution towards electric versions for the last mile, with which it seeks to compete in performance with traditional units.

According to the executive, the unit offers a power of 300 kW —more than 400 horsepower—, a torque of 2,150 Nm, a load capacity of 5.8 tons and a range of up to 200 kilometers.

This type of solution is already part of the  brand’s global portfolio , although its deployment in Mexico is still limited and not yet widespread in the market. However, he cautioned that real-world performance depends largely on driving style: “Power delivery isn’t the same… with our driving habits, we end up depleting the batteries faster,” he explained.

One of the recurring issues surrounding the adoption of electric vehicles is the fate of the batteries once they lose capacity . In this regard, Fernández specified that lithium-ion batteries have an average lifespan of three thousand charge cycles. However, their use doesn’t end there.

“I don’t necessarily have to throw it away… we can use it as an additional battery bank,” he explained.

Regarding recycling, the engineer highlighted the  hydrometallurgy  process as one of the most efficient alternatives for recovering materials.

“If we want to talk about lithium recovery… it’s above 95%,” he noted.

This process allows  the reuse of materials such as lithium ,  nickel, and cobalt  for the manufacture of new batteries, although it involves technical and environmental challenges, such as the treatment of the water used.

Hydrogen: potential without infrastructure

In addition to electrification, Volkswagen Truck & Bus Mexico is also exploring alternatives such as hydrogen, a technology that is already being tested in Europe with vehicles that maintain characteristics similar to diesel vehicles.

These units can achieve ranges of up to 600 kilometers, but their arrival in Mexico faces a key obstacle: fuel availability .

“We don’t have any firm plans to bring it to Mexico; fuel isn’t easily accessible,” he acknowledged.

Beyond technology, the executive stressed that the main challenge remains the availability of energy, both electricity and alternative fuels.

“If I don’t have the option to plug it in to charge it, it’s a big problem,” he warned.

In this regard, he considered it necessary to advance in the development of energy infrastructure so that technological solutions can scale in the market.

Finally, the specialist acknowledged that the secondary market for electric vehicles still faces challenges, mainly due to the current limited adoption.

“Today we need to expand the market to increase demand,” he concluded.

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Volkswagen Truck & Bus Mexico projects accelerated growth in 2026; the goal is to increase its market share through a strategy focused on three pillars: more products, greater commercial coverage, and a more professional after-sales service, stated Rafael Santos Magalhaes, the brand’s Operations Director.

The company will continue opening dealerships, strengthening its network, and raising the level of technical service to ensure a more robust experience for customers, Santos said in an interview with T21.

“We are greatly strengthening our product line,” commented Santos, who explained that the vehicles now incorporate “much more standard equipment, both in terms of safety, comfort and technology,” including improved braking systems.

Among the new products, he reiterated that the star launch was the Volkswagen Constellation 26.480 6×4 , which the brand presented as its commitment to strengthening its presence in the heavy segment.

“We are confident that it will be a vehicle that everyone will like,” he emphasized.

The Operations Director highlighted that the brand’s strategy focuses on being closer to customers , offering products with greater integrated value, and ensuring stronger technical and commercial support.

With new models, an expanded network and a renewed focus on after-sales service, Volkswagen Truck & Bus Mexico is preparing for 2026, where expansion will be the priority.

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Digitalization , technology, and infrastructure investment are essential pillars for building more resilient and dynamic supply chains in North America, specialists agreed on the panel ” Keeping Pace with Cross-Border Demands ,” within the framework of Automotive Logistics & Supply Chain.

The panel included Magdalena Pongratz, inbound planning specialist at Volkswagen de México ; Ricardo Álvarez, vice president and general manager of Supply Chain Solutions at Ryder México; and César García, sales director at Uber Freight in Mexico.

The experts agreed that close collaboration, flexibility, and the adoption of technological innovations are key factors in facing current challenges , such as bottlenecks, and anticipating obstacles that may arise in the future in supply chains.

During the discussion, it was highlighted that digitization has ceased to be a trend and has become a necessity that improves transportation processes . As an example, the Transportation Management System (TMS) was cited, along with its evolution into a data exchange tool for a key player in customer service, and Ricardo Álvarez noted his experience in developing the tool.

“We tasked our engineers with developing a new model of our TMS to be 100% applicable and to act as mediators in the process to make it applicable to everyone. So, if someone tells us we want to fail, now the public is reviewing every detail. We are becoming a technology company, and this is part of our integrated solutions,” he noted.

Meanwhile, César García emphasized that investment in technology and infrastructure is a strategic priority for addressing the industry’s challenges . He pointed out that innovation should not be seen as a problem, but rather as the solution that accelerates processes. In his experience, particularly in border regions, alternatives have been implemented to optimize cash flow and consolidate operations, in addition to the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in processes.

“What we need are three direct lines of management and flexible capacity solutions, because only with these can we react quickly and have the right processes in place. These are the two main characteristics for us,” he noted.

Finally, Magdalena Pongratz pointed out that transparency and open communication strengthen strategic transitions , while building a collaborative logistics ecosystem allows for raising the level of service and efficiency.

“In Mexico, it’s all about deep collaboration with our indigenous countries because we see, with all the new volume, with all the change that is happening, that we can build a resilient network that can support service providers in the long term,” he concluded.

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In a context of commercial uncertainty and changes in supply chains, Magdalena Pongratz, inbound planning specialist at Volkswagen de México , highlighted that interchangeable processes in the logistics environment should not be understood solely as operations, but as “the spark for growth and competitive advancement . “

During his presentation entitled “Adding Value Through Collaboration and Cross-Border Logistics ,” at the Automotive Logistics & Supply Chain conference, Pongratz emphasized the role of North America as an integrated region, where the United States, Canada, and Mexico form a logistics bloc with deeply intertwined supply chains .

This cross-border dynamic, he noted, demands a strategic vision that allows us to face the challenges of costs and efficiency , which guarantees the resilience of operations in a highly competitive market.

One of the key points of his presentation was the complexity of transit processes, which generate a significant disparity in costs . Although the volume of supplies from the United States represents only 5% of Volkswagen de México’s total, this same flow accounts for 29% of logistics costs. This difference explains the company’s priority in optimizing flows and reducing expenses associated with the movement of goods.

To try to solve these problems, Pongratz pointed out, the company launched strategies such as the NAR Inbound Tender project , launched in 2024 together with Audi Mexico and Volkswagen Group of America , which seeks to update the inbound network to “attack exactly these inbound costs and to update our entire inbound network in the multidimensional region.”

The specialist also explained that Volkswagen’s logistics departments are constantly working on optimizing transport frequencies , with the main objective of consolidating volumes.

“With this, we can reduce the frequency and increase our productivity. And we see the great benefit of improving our capitalization, lowering our transportation costs, having a better pattern, and ultimately, a simplified scale,” he noted.

Finally, Pongratz announced a pilot intermodal transport plan, in which a supplier in the northern United States will supply the Puebla plant, with the goal of validating the viability of intermodal transport as a cost-optimizing alternative . The initiative seeks to add more suppliers in the future and incorporate more intermodal transport projects.

“And why are we doing this? Ultimately, we need and want our supply chain to be as resilient and effective as possible to support automotive production in Mexico,” he concluded.

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Partner reliability , resilience, the response to road blockades, and the use of new technologies were some of the topics addressed in the panel ” Reshaping Mexico’s Supply Chain for a New Era of Automotive Trade ,” held within the framework of Automotive Logistics & Supply Chain

Peter Koltai, Senior Director of Production Control and Logistics at Volkswagen Mexico , highlighted the need for partners capable of reacting to adversities that may arise in the supply chain. He stressed that the most important thing is the reliability and transparency of information from partners , and gave the example of transferring Golf production to the Puebla plant.

“We need partners who are capable of reacting to unexpected situations. At Volkswagen, we will face an enormous challenge if we decide to transfer Golf production to Puebla. This will give the factory at least 50% more production at this stage. We will again require many logistics service providers to meet the requirements,” he noted

Regarding resilience, David Resetar, executive vice president and global vertical leader of DSV Global Transport and Logistics , noted that to mitigate volatility, such as that generated by tariffs, the key strategy is to buy where you build, and build where you sell. He explained that, although the global network is leveraged for planning, the focus is on localizing support and operations in the United States .

For his part, Víctor Salazar, director of operations at Trayecto , recommended preparing for market ups and downs and investing in technologies, citing as an example control tower software for both security and customer service . He added that his company has already tested electric vehicles and that 70% of the fleet will need to operate on alternative energy sources

Meanwhile, Raúl Gamboa, head of Logistics, Production Control and Production Systems at the BMW Group plant in San Luis Potosí, emphasized the importance of remodeling the logistics chain as a key element to face current challenges.

In conclusion, the specialists agreed that industries must know how to react to adversity, citing the highway blockades that have occurred in the country as an example ; they also pointed out that reliability and traceability will be fundamental pillars for the future of the automotive supply chain in Mexico.

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