Update March 31, 2021. Volkswagen has announced that the whole “Voltswagen” thing was indeed a joke, in anticipation of April Fool’s day. So, no, there won’t be any name change, and cars will still be branded as Volkswagens. The electric concept vehicles, the production ID.4 and the upcoming 2023 ID.Buzz however are still very real as VW transitions more of its model lineup to all-electric drivetrains.
We’ve updated the headline above and the original story is below.
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Starting in May 2021, Volkswagen of America will apparently be called Voltswagen of America, in a nod to the company’s electric aspirations. The news leaked yesterday and we are still understandably skeptical, given how close it is to April Fool’s day.
But a (now-deleted, ed.) press release from Volkswagen adds some credence to the story.
VW says it is way more than a name change, it’s a double-down on the company’s focus towards electric vehicles—reinforcing its commitment to sell one million EVs worldwide by 2025 and bring over 70 EV models from the extended VW family of brands to the market by 2029.
“The idea of a ‘people’s car’ is the very fabric of our being. We have said, from the beginning of our shift to an electric future, that we will build EVs for the millions, not just millionaires,” said Scott Keogh, president and CEO of Voltswagen of America. “This name change signifies a nod to our past as the peoples’ car and our firm belief that our future is in being the peoples’ electric car.”
We’re already seeing those EV models in the North American market too, with the launch of the ID.4 all-electric SUV this year. VW has also confirmed the U.S. release of its retro-inspired ID.Buzz van in 2023 and introduced a series of electric vehicle concepts in the ID family.
According to the release, you’ll also begin seeing the Voltswagen name on exterior badging with all of VW’s new U.S. EV models, along with Voltswagen signage at U.S. dealerships coming soon.
So, is it a re-brand? Or just a somewhat elaborate April Fool’s day gag? (Yes, we now know it was a prank, ed.) We’ll update if we hear anything new, in the meantime, let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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