Volkswagen's Commitment to Electric Vehicles
Recent news that Volkswagen has awarded contracts to battery suppliers for around £35 Billion ($47 Billion) certainly shows their commitment to the technology. Initially, they had planned on spending £44 Billion ($60 Billion) by 2025, so it appears electric vehicles aren't on the back burner. Those figures start to mean something when you discover they are close to the market value (yes entire market value) of Tesla Motors.
Production of Tesla's latest offering, the Model 3, hasn't gone too smoothly either, with Elon Musk admitting that the use of too many Robots caused "production hell" and that he was "back to sleeping at the factory" in order to oversee the Model 3 production. So with the ongoing issues at Tesla, and VW signalling their intent in the EV market, what can we expect to see from the German manufacturer?
I.D
Photo by Auto Express
The VW I.D is a small hatchback designed to rival the Tesla Model 3 when production begins in 2019. With a claimed range of somewhere around 350 miles mark, the I.D may prove to be a game changer.
I.D VIZZION
The I.D Vizzion is the replacement for the Phaeton, with production due to start in 2021. The "Digital Chauffeur" offers level 5 autonomous driving, where a car's autonomy is so unconditional and absolute it no longer needs any controls whatsoever.
I.D CROZZ
In a world where almost 90% of vehicles on sale are some sort of crossover come SUV, it was inevitable that VW would announce the Jaguar I-Pace rival, I.D CROZZ. Expect to see it hit the dealerships in 2020.
I.D BUZZ
Announced back last year, the I.D Buzz is a fully electric take on the classic T2 bus of the 50's and 60's. Classic VW fans will surely love the retro styling, and you never know, we may even see a split-screen version! The Volkswagen E-UP is another exciting vehicle in the pipeline, providing competition for the BMW i3.