Cost pressure, capacity and collaboration: VW’s Anu Goel on redefining vehicle logistics resilience
Volkswagen Group of America’s Anu Goel explains how cost pressure, tariffs and volatility are forcing logistics teams to rethink partnerships, network design and resilience strategies.
At Finished Vehicle Logistics North America 2026, Anu Goel, executive vice-president, group service and after sales at Volkswagen Group of America, highlights the scale of financial pressure facing automotive logistics.
With tariffs, rising costs and market uncertainty, logistics has become a central lever for efficiency, but also one under intense scrutiny.
Scale and collaboration as key cost levers
One of the most powerful ways to reduce cost is through scale. Goel points to increased collaboration across brands within the Volkswagen Group and potentially with external OEMs as a critical strategy. Sharing capacity, aligning flows and leveraging underutilised assets can unlock significant efficiencies. This includes rethinking traditional models, such as dedicated vessel capacity, and exploring how unused space could be shared more dynamically.
Balancing short-term cost cuts with long-term growth
Despite immediate financial pressures facing the industry, Goel warns against excessive cost-cutting that risks undermining future growth. Automotive logistics requires long-term investment, often tied to multi-year contracts and infrastructure decisions. However, the current environment is pushing companies to rethink timelines and build more flexibility into networks. Shorter planning cycles, faster implementation and the ability to pivot are becoming increasingly important.
Goel challenges the industry to accelerate decision-making and execution, questioning why logistics networks should take years to establish when other parts of the business move much faster. This shift reflects a broader need for agility in response to ongoing disruption.
A more open, partnership-driven future
Goel emphasises a growing openness to collaboration with external partners offering niche, scalable solutions. Where OEMs may have previously preferred in-house control, the current environment is driving a shift toward more flexible, partnership-led models.
