Volkswagen has given an update on its model planning for the upcoming electric vehicles (EVs). VW CEO Thomas Schäfer has stated that several points are still open, and the production of new electric cars will also depend on the demand for combustion engines, which will be decided in Brussels. According to Schäfer, a new electric Golf will only be available on the basis of the upcoming SSP electric platform, which is planned for 2028. Schäfer has justified the fact that the electric Golf needs the SSP, stating that the model is to have “a flatter roof compared to the ID.3”, which is not possible based on the MEB or the further development MEB+. Schäfer has stated that an electric SUV the size of a Tiguan could debut as early as 2026. The delayed flagship model Trinity (also based on SSP, so not before 2028) will also come off the production line there.
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Future internal combustion demand (and thus indirectly Trinity production) will also depend on the new Euro-7 regulations, which are still being discussed in Brussels. If Euro-7 comes with the specifications that were mentioned last year in November, it will be “extremely difficult, especially for smaller vehicles”. “You will then definitely need hybridisation, an all-round camera belt, probably tungsten carbide brakes. And you can’t do anything without an automatic,” the manager said. VW is not currently planning a Golf 9. Against this background, the company is not currently planning a Golf 9, but rather a comprehensive facelift of the Golf 8, which is expected to last until the end of the decade.
Even before the Golf 8 facelift, the new Passat and Tiguan will be unveiled this year, with the Tayron and the successor to the T-Roc due to arrive later in 2025. The T-Roc will then be the last new VW combustion engine vehicle “as things stand today”. However, it will probably be some time before another small electric car below the ID.2all. The current e-Up will be phased out in mid-2024 when the new UNECE rules on cybersecurity come into force.
See also: Volkswagen’s Upcoming ID.2all EV to Get Sporty Performance Version
In an interview with the German publication Automobilwoche, Schäfer confirmed the basic goal that the VW brand wants to sell only battery-electric vehicles in Europe. As of today, such an electric car is not yet feasible in terms of price at the current battery and raw material costs. “It would be nice if we could achieve this in this decade. The sooner, the better. But we’re not there yet.
