Volkswagen raises forecast for electric car production

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By DAVID McHUGH

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Automaker Volkswagen is accelerating its move into battery-powered cars, saying it will reach its goal of 1 million electric cars per year two years earlier than planned. Friday’s announcement came as European automakers are under pressure to meet lower emissions limits aimed at fighting global warming.

The Wolfsburg-based automaker said its core Volkswagen brand would turn out a million battery-only cars by the end of 2023 instead of 2025, and would reach 1.5 million by the end of 2025.

Those numbers are a stark contrast to this year’s production of more than 70,000 e-autos and last year’s 50,000. Volkswagen is planning to raise its production and sales numbers by introducing the ID.3, a battery model the company says will have the low price and longer range needed to transform such cars from a niche product to one with mass acceptance. The ID.3 base model will cost under 30,000 euros ($33,500) and travel 330 to 550 kilometers (205 to 340 miles) on a single charge.

European carmakers must meet tougher limits on fleet average emissions of carbon dioxide from 2021 or face heavy fines. Analysts and carmakers say the only way they can do that is by significantly increasing their sales of electrics. Carbon dioxide is the primary greenhouse gas blamed by scientists for global warming.



FILE - In this Nov. 9, 2012 file picture a worker fixes a sign at a Volkswagen Golf car during a press tour in Zwickau, central Germany. Automaker Volkswagen is raising the bar for its plunge into battery powered cars, saying it will reach its goal of 1 million e-autos per year two years earlier than planned. (AP Photo/Jens Meyer,File)


Read more: https://apnews.com/875b0b26303c1cf2aed6e4a79f65e40a

[AtheistCrusader]

1. Hurry up and launch the electric VW Bus already.

[CentralMass]

3. +1

[AtheistCrusader]

4. The only thing that saddens me about that vehicle is that it will probably be out of my price range.

But then again, perhaps not.

[CentralMass]

6. Same here but it is the one potentially pricey vehicle that might entice me. Maybe a lease deal

Might be an option.

[CentralMass]

9. After looking it up, $70k is definitely out of my price range.

https://www.caranddriver.com/volkswagen/microbus

[MissMillie]

2. This is good news

There's a big part of me that hates them for their emissions fraud from a few years ago, but it does look like they're trying to make up for it. I guess if they think the demand for the electric cars is increasing, people must like their vehicles enough to be buying them.

[AtheistCrusader]

5. Yeah, and it sucks because it's not just that they lied for profit...

Their lying probably stymied the availability of diesel engines in the US across the board, since other manufacturers tried, and failed to make that market cost effective/profitable. They couldn't match VW's fake emissions levels, so, more gas ICE engines instead.

Diesel is by no means a solution to carbon output, but getting vehicles into the 40/50mpg range is useful.

[crazytown]

7. Strength through Joules

[not_the_one]

8. I would wager this is where/when we will see the Beetle reintroduced, again.

Moving from Manhattan to the Poconos, I had to get a car. It was in April of 2018, but still a brand new 2017 coupe, pure white.

Love it. My only complaint is that the front seats do not lean back. There ARE seat adjustments, just none that allow you to lean back. There ARE times when that would come in handy...