Volkswagen has surely gone round and round with Tesla. Half the time, the massive, legacy automaker seems to be saying it can destroy Tesla (someday). Well, for sure, there's no doubt VW is in a much better position for success in the difficult segment. Other times, VW seems to be crediting Tesla for pushing toward the future.

As recently reported by Teslarati, Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess has yet again given Tesla the credit it deserves. The publication gleaned some information and comments from a recent podcast.

Apparently, Diess called Tesla a "pioneer" for EVs and admitted that the Silicon Valley automaker's work, insights, and choices have worked to drive his companies forward. He also stated that VW Group clearly has some catching up to do.

In the end, despite the rivalry, Diess seems to honestly hope that Tesla will be able to secure continued success. He explained that there are certainly some advantages as a small, all-electric carmaker.

However, he made it clear that his company also has some advantages since it's a huge, globally established automotive group. Diess shared:

“We are big, we are global, and we also have advantages in scaling, starting up factories, and rolling out the business. This will be our chance in the next few years. We will win."

Interestingly, according to Teslarati, VW Group was about to get on board with a $30 billion investment when CEO Elon Musk hoped to take Tesla private. At this point, we can only wait and see what the future brings.

Source: Teslarati