Pischetsrieder has to move fast to survive at VW.(Cover Story)

Auer, Georg; Weernink, Wim Oude

Byline: Wim Oude Weernink, Georg Auer Automotive News Europe

Bernd Pischetsrieder has one or perhaps two years to solve the many problems he inherited from Ferdinand Piech.

Pischetsrieder, Volkswagen's CEO since April, is in a tough spot. He's taken over from someone notoriously hard to follow. The autocratic Piech has usually been the boss of the executive who replaced him.

That's the case again. Piech is now chairman of VW's supervisory board, which hires and fires the CEO.

If Pischetsrieder, 54, gets off to a slow start VW insiders don't believe he'll survive. They ...