Volkswagen Lays Out Roadmap For The Future, Set To Go Fully Electric In Europe By 2033
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Volkswagen to concentrate on fewer models going forward.
10 new EVs to be introduced by 2026.
Entry-level EVs to include a small hatchback and sporty crossover based on ID.3.
Set to build electric-only models in Europe by 2033 at the latest.
Thomas Schafer, the recently appointed CEO of the Volkswagen Group, has laid out the roadmap for the German brand’s future in both the short- and long-term. There will be some revisions to the way Volkswagen goes about its business, and let’s dive right into the details of the announcement.
Plans for the near future
VW will likely be cutting down on the number of options in its portfolio and directing its focus to mainstream models in the next 10 years. This could be a move to increase the influx of electric vehicles as the brand plans to introduce 10 new EVs by 2026. These will include entry-level models and even a sportier crossover iteration of an entry-level model.
Thomas also focused on fortifying the brand’s touchpoints globally, meaning countries like India could get more global products from the brand. He also announced the possible birth of a compact SUV based on the ID.3 electric hatchback, and we believe it could make its way to India, considering that the ID.4 has been spotted testing here and is expected to be launched as a CBU.
VW currently has only two models bearing the EV tag in its portfolio; the ID.4 SUV and ID. Buzz van.
Electric-only future?
The firm aims to produce only electric cars in Europe by 2033 at the latest. No further details were revealed with regard to this, but we believe that other global touchpoints will receive a similar treatment after VW achieves its goal set for the European markets.
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As is the case with several manufacturers, the VW Group also has partnerships in place, which has saved them a whopping 220 million euros (Rs 18.03 billion) in production costs. One of these partnerships is with Mahindra, whose range of Born Electric (BE) vehicles will use components from VW’s MEB platform.
Furthermore, the announcement also emphasised on customer-centric focus with improved ergonomics and useability. The brand is going to revive physical buttons, starting with the start-stop button, which apparently is a high customer want.