MUNICH, Germany — With the appointment of a chief representative for electric traction, Volkswagen highlights the importance of the e -car for its product strategy. The company has named the former CEO of automotive supplier Continental AG, Karl-Thomas Neumann, for the position.

In this newly created job, Neumann reports directly to Volkswagen chief executive Martin Winterkorn. "The electric car is for Volkswagen a decisive technology, offering enormous market chances," Winterkorn said in a statement.

Neumann who holds a doctor's degree in electrical engineering has launched his career at the Fraunhofer Institute where he conducted research work on automotive electronics. He joins Volkswagen from Continental where he was CEO until the company was taken over by Schaeffler KG in September 2009. Neumann also knows Volkswagen very well: Earlier, he was managing the electronics development activities and later the entire segment electrics/electronics for the automotive OEM.

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Electronics expert appointed Continental CEO