Volkswagen's Latest Electric SUV and Golf EV

author: FutureCar Staff    

The Volkswagen brand is preparing for the future of electric mobility by announcing its plans to produce a new electric SUV at its main plant in Germany. This move is part of Volkswagen's effort to reduce production complexity and increase efficiency in its plants, according to Christian Vollmer, VW brand board member for production.

During a meeting with the supervisory board, Volkswagen revealed its vehicle distribution plans through 2028. In addition to the already released ID.3, the company's main plant in Wolfsburg will introduce a second all-electric model, a compact electric SUV. Although details about the new SUV are limited, Volkswagen had previously unveiled the affordable ID 2all electric hatch concept earlier this year, which starts at under $27,000 (€25,000) and offers a range of around 450 km (280 miles) on the WLTP cycle.

The ID 2all is just one of the 10 new Volkswagen EV models set to launch by 2026. This year, the market saw the release of the new ID.3, the three-row ID.Buzz, and the flagship ID.7 sedan. Next in line is the compact electric SUV, expected to be similar in size and style to the popular Tiguan, and planned for production in Wolfsburg in 2026.

Notably, Volkswagen also announced that the iconic Golf will be transitioning into the electric era on the scalable systems platform (SSP) architecture at the Wolfsburg plant. This decision means that instead of building an additional plant in Wolfsburg, Volkswagen will utilize its main plant for the production of new electric models based on the SSP platform.

As part of these changes, Volkswagen's Trinity vehicle project, which was delayed due to software issues, will now be produced at the Zwickau plant. This comes after reports of production cuts at two German plants, including Zwickau, due to lower demand. The Zwickau plant, which received a significant investment in 2018 to prepare for the electric future, will shut down one of its ID.3 production lines and reduce the number of temporary workers.

Volkswagen's CEO, Thomas Schafer, expressed the urgency the company feels in navigating the complex challenges of the industry's transformation. He aims for the VW brand to achieve a record profitability of 6.5%, compared to the current 3.6%. With competitors like Tesla and China's BYD gaining traction in the electric vehicle market, Volkswagen is working to maintain its position and expand its brand in Europe.

FutureCar Staff