Connecting Drivers to Their Cars

How Our Team Supports Digital Car Services
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About VW Digital Solutions

Modern vehicles are becoming smarter, allowing drivers to stay connected with their cars even when they are miles away. Whether it’s starting the engine remotely, checking the fuel/battery level or scheduling a maintenance appointment, digital car services are making life more convenient. Competence Center is at the heart of this evolution, ensuring that these services run smoothly, enabling drivers to communicate with their vehicles whether through a smartphone, infotainment system or web portal. Our team provides application support for mobile online services, enabling drivers to remotely connect with their cars. These services are accessible across three platforms: the smartphone, the in-car infotainment system and web portals. 

Let’s say it’s 6 AM, and a customer is getting ready for its commute. Since winter is approaching, they don’t want to sit in a freezing car, waiting for the heater to kick in. Instead, using the smartphone, they activate the vehicle’s air conditioning, setting it to a comfortable 24°C. By the time they’re ready to leave, the car is already warm and cozy. But what if the app doesn’t work? The customer might call the support hotline, who will create a customer complaint and forward it to our ‘Competence Center’. Using our specialized tools, we can investigate and diagnose the problem, often resolving it ourselves. Whether it’s remote climate control or infotainment issues – like faulty navigation maps, our job is to ensure that the customer experience remains smooth and uninterrupted. 

Since our establishment in 2020, we’ve grown rapidly. Initially, we focused on supporting Škoda, but through hard work and determination, we now cover all brands under the Volkswagen Group umbrella, including Volkswagen, VW Commercial Vehicles, SEAT, CUPRA, Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, Porsche and Škoda. If the vehicle was produced from 2013 onwards, our team is responsible for ensuring that its connected services run smoothly.  

We don’t work alone. Our team collaborates closely with VWGIS and CARIAD in Germany, ensuring that the online services are always up and running for customers worldwide. Together, our mission is clear: to restore service availability as quickly as possible, while upholding the highest standards of security, reliability, and innovation. 

As technology continues to evolve, so do the capabilities of connected car services. We are excited about the future innovations that will further deepen the relationship between drivers and their vehicles.  

For many drivers, these digital services have become an essential part of their daily routine. Whether it’s warming up the car on a cold morning or keeping an eye on the battery status of an electric vehicle, Competence Center ensures that customers can rely on these features whenever they need them

This is an opinion article and doesn't necessarily reflect the Volkswagen Group view.