Last week, at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Volkswagen unveiled the e-Up! and e-Golf models, putting official faces on at least some of the company's longstanding EV plans. We say some because, as part of the Frankfurt barrage, VW started talking about a company-wide electrified line-up that includes up to 40 vehicles, "If there is sufficient demand." Say what you want about VW's late entry into the plug-in space, that's a lot of EVs, PHEVs and hybrids.
VW has said it hopes to have plug-ins account for three percent of its global sales by 2018, but it's going to start with 14 electric and hybrid models by 2014. In a press release issued last week, VW added that it spends more in R&D for electric mobility than on any other field and has trained 70,000 employees in the EV ways. VW CEO Martin Winterkorn even said, "We are starting at exactly the right time. We are electrifying all vehicle classes, and therefore have everything we need to make the Volkswagen Group the top automaker in all respects, including electric mobility, by 2018." It's not quite as inspirational as Tesla CEO Elon Musk's EV push, but it does show that the crumbs we've been following for years may lead somewhere quite intriguing. There's more of Winterkorn's speech below.
As was explained to us in 2010, Volkswagen has been making prototype and concept EVs for decades. As it has gotten closer and closer to releasing production EVs, VW has been talking more and more about its EV leadership intentions, saying in January thatit wanted to be the electric mobility leader. We've even been test driving the company's EV products – things like the Blue-e-motion(twice) and the XL1 – for years. We can also add in EVs from other brands, things like the Audi A3 E-tron plug-in hybrid and thePorsche Panamera S E-hybrid. But to put all the pieces together to the point where VW is the "market leader in electric mobility by 2018"? That's a challenge."We have everything we need to make VW the top automaker in all respects, including electric mobility, by 2018." VW CEO Winterkorn.
VW has said it hopes to have plug-ins account for three percent of its global sales by 2018, but it's going to start with 14 electric and hybrid models by 2014. In a press release issued last week, VW added that it spends more in R&D for electric mobility than on any other field and has trained 70,000 employees in the EV ways. VW CEO Martin Winterkorn even said, "We are starting at exactly the right time. We are electrifying all vehicle classes, and therefore have everything we need to make the Volkswagen Group the top automaker in all respects, including electric mobility, by 2018." It's not quite as inspirational as Tesla CEO Elon Musk's EV push, but it does show that the crumbs we've been following for years may lead somewhere quite intriguing. There's more of Winterkorn's speech below.
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