Because the expansion of the Ionity fast-charging network is progressing too slowly, the owners are discussing attracting private equity capital for Ionity. According to a media report, financial circles are talking about at least 500 million euros in fresh money.

The Volkswagen Group just missed the EU’s CO2 fleet targets for 2020. The CO2 pool formed with other manufacturers fell short by around 0.5 g/km last year. By contrast, the VW and Audi brands exceeded their CO2 fleet targets, primarily due to the ramp-up of the ID.3 and rising e-tron sales.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles delivered around 2,700 electric vehicles in 2020. This corresponds to an increase of 167% in electric van sales compared to 2019 but does not even represent one per cent of total sales.

VW brand boss Ralf Brandstätter has revealed the name of the brand’s new electric flagship first announced in December. The Trinity EV will roll off the production line from 2026.

Volkswagen has restructured the Board of Management of its core passenger car brand. Frank Welsch, Member of the Board of Management responsible for Development, moves from the brand to the Group and will take charge of the new Group Quality Management and Strategy department.

The electric car joint venture between Audi and FAW in China, which was officially announced in October 2020, is becoming more concrete: The future company will be 60 per cent owned by Audi AG and Volkswagen Group China and 40 per cent by FAW and will be based in Changchun in north-eastern China.

Volkswagen AG has opened its CO2 pool in the EU further at the end of last year to include more manufacturers. The new pooling partners all make electric vehicles.

German carmakers Porsche, Audi, VW and the BMW Group, have published sales figures for 2020. Although overall sales declined, their sales of electric cars and plug-in hybrids still saw a significant increase. In some cases, these now account for a double-digit share of total sales.

Volkswagen is launching a recall for its e-Up small electric car. Due to faulty battery cells, there is a risk of a short circuit or fire. No incidents have been reported so far, but the decision was taken as a precautionary measure – which is not too dramatic since the number of vehicles involved is […]

The German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) recorded over 43,000 new registrations of purely electric cars in Germany in December. Compared to the same month last year, electric cars thus increased by a full 660 per cent.

Volkswagen Group Components has created a new Charging & Energy business unit as of 1 January 2021. This will be headed by Elke Temme, who was formerly managing director of Innogy eMobility Solutions.

Sales of the VW ID.4 are scheduled to start in Germany and several other European countries in the first week of January, as the union representative, the head of the works council Bernd Osterloh announced. Deliveries of the battery-electric SUV model are scheduled to begin in the first quarter and pre-orders are already being accepted.

Much has been written about the VW ID.4, and now we can finally deliver our first-drive review as Christoph M. Schwarzer took the company’s “world-class car” for a tour on wintry curvy country roads in Germany.

Volkswagen is doing too little to promote sales of electric cars, says Greenpeace. The organisation just published a paper following probing conversations it had at 50 dealerships in Germany during a mystery shopping spree.

Volkswagen revealed more details concerning Monday’s announcement that it will turn its main plant in Wolfsburg into a model factory for the highly automated production of electric cars.

In the coming year, more and more charging stations will be Plug&Charge-capable, thanks to several steps that have been taken behind the scenes. This lays the groundwork from which the automotive industry at large should now benefit. That being said, for the technology to be widely used, one main thing is still missing: a large […]

After a few tense weeks of power poker at Volkswagen, it has now been announced that Herbert Diess will remain Group CEO with the Group’s unequivocal backing for his strategy and leadership.

The VW ID.3 will receive some upgrades in the coming year such as increased charging power. A moderate range increase is also said to be planned by the end of next year.

Volkswagen Group Components has announced its intention to launch a DC wall box with 22 kW, which is already being prepared for bidirectional charging. Real operation has currently started at five plant locations as part of a pilot phase.

Volkswagen has now taken over the majority stake of the joint venture with JAC with 75 per cent, which also means management control. The company was immediately renamed from JAC Volkswagen to Volkswagen (Anhui) Automotive Company Limited since an eMobility hub is to be established in Anhui Province.

Following the Volkswagen Group, the Audi brand has now also decided on its investment planning round for 2021 to 2025. This provides for a total sum of around 35 billion euros, particularly for future vehicle projects.

While Volkswagen eMobility board member Thomas Ulbrich is leaving the Group next year, electric mobility is precipitating Volkswagen’s change in position on motorsports. The German carmaker is leaving the motorsport arena to gather its strength for electric mobility.

While VW Group CEO Herbert Diess’ requested early contract renewal is still not clarified, another top executive Volkswagen is making a big change: eMobility board member Thomas Ulbrich is leaving the Group next year. The reasons for the move are being hotly discussed in the German media with different theses.

In China, Volkswagen has now also started production of the VW ID.4 for the Chinese market in Foshan. After SAIC Volkswagen started production of the ID.4 X at the MEB plant in Anting at the end of October, FAW-Volkswagen is now following suit with the ID.4 Crozz in Foshan.

According to Volkswagen, “green battery logistics” have been put into operation for the MEB plant in Zwickau. Transporting the batteries by rail is expected to save around 11,000 tons of CO2 per year compared to truck transport.

Only a few months after the last major conflict with employee representatives at the Volkswagen works council, which ended in the loss of the post as head of the brand, VW CEO Herbert Diess has apparently found trouble again. Apparently, the development could even result in a “short-term replacement” for Diess.

Rumours about a small electric car from Volkswagen for less than 20,000 euros are back on the boil. Apparently, VW will be cooperating with JAC from China for the construction of the small BEV. This is not such a surprising development given the project’s past and increasing demand for smaller electric cars.

This summer just passed, Ford announced that its future electric car would be developed on the basis of Volkswagen’s Modular E-Drive Box (MEB) in Cologne-Merkenich, Germany. Now, various reports from the German media are now reporting that the electric car is also to be built at the Ford plant in Cologne.

The VW Group subsidiary Group Components has now published which parts their ‘Components’ division supplies for ID.4 and in which plants these parts and their preliminary products are manufactured.

Truck manufacturer Scania says it has reached a milestone in electrification: the first commercial electric truck series from the Swedish VW subsidiary has now been launched on the market. Like the fully electric truck, the plug-in hybrid is also being delivered now and is similarly intended for urban distribution traffic.