PHOTO BY VWDiesel? What diesel? VW pivots to EVs with new MEB architecture
Even as the diesel scandal shows no signs of abating, Volkswagen is already heading in another direction. Motoring reports Wolfsburg is planning a mass-market EV that will take on the likes of the Chevrolet Volt and the Tesla Model 3.
The automaker has a new stand-alone electric car in the pipeline that will use the upcoming eighth-generation e-Golf's electric powertain, but with greater ranger and a lower cost.
The unnamed EV will reportedly have a unique design, not shared with the e-Golf, and will have a range of at least 190 miles. Underneath will be the electric/hybrid MEB platform that VW has set aside for a number of upcoming electric models, including the production version of the BUDD-e which itself will debut around 2020.
The new vehicle could see daylight before the arrival of the eighth-generation Golf in 2018 (even though VW is still thinking about the timing) but before the arrival of the BUDD-e which may or may not be styled as a homage to the classic VW Bus; either way, it'll likely be positioned between the electric e-up! and the e-Golf in size and price.
The new push toward electric vehicles is being championed by VW Chairman Dr. Hertbert Diess and VW CEO Matthias Mueller, who have been making a strong case for electric cars in recent months with the debuts of several GTE concepts and a push to expand EV infrastructure in Europe.
It seems that predictions of the diesel crisis hastening the end of TDI are starting to look like they'll come true, but expect to see plenty of diesel cars at home and overseas for a while -- infrastructure for EVs won't appear overnight.
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