That’s some kind of superficial policy from the EU. The focus shouldn’t be on fuel-efficient ICEs but on SUVs and kilometers driven. EV cars should also have some limits, such as a tax or fee for those exceeding a certain weight class. There is almost no focus on total emissions, but rather on isolated, restrictive measures. In the same way, Dieselgate was partly the fault of its creators. Not everyone got caught, but of course VW was the biggest culprit. Many Volkswagens are seen on the roads and their reputation in big markets is good, so these are not decisive setbacks.
Money will just be moving from one pocket to another. The EU slaps its own with fines, but on the other hand, it has to heavily stimulate the very same car industry, as they can’t compete in the world’s corporate subsidy jungle anyway.
Smart. Damn smart, of course.
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First it was delayed, and then it’s not coming to North America at all. So much for this ID.7 being a bestseller.
https://electrek.co/2025/01/28/after-delays-the-vw-id-7-now-wont-be-coming-to-the-us-at-all/
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Volkswagen has sued Indian authorities to quash a $1.4 billion tax demand, which the company considers unreasonable and inconsistent with the country’s own customs rules.
India accuses Volkswagen of importing nearly complete cars as parts to pay lower customs duties, but Volkswagen defends itself by claiming it acted in accordance with previous government guidelines.
The company fears that the tax demand jeopardizes its $1.5 billion investments in India and undermines foreign investors’ confidence. The Bombay High Court will hear the case on Wednesday.
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Volkswagen teased an image of its new people’s car – the official presentation is in March, production is currently expected to start only in 2027, and the price range is 20,000 euros.
A version of the same MEB platform will be used for the ID.2, priced around 25,000 euros, with production starting in 2026.
It remains to be seen what kind of range and equipment the entry-level models will have, but I commend that buying a new electric car is at least in principle possible for others than just those with deep pockets.
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This is good news for Volkswagen too, that Tesla’s sales are plummeting in Europe:
The sharpest drops were recorded in France, where Tesla’s sales plummeted by as much as 63 percent. In Sweden, Tesla’s trade declined by 44 percent, and in Norway, considered a model country for electric cars, by 38 percent.
In the Netherlands, Tesla’s demand dropped by 42 percent. Even in Britain, customer enthusiasm for Tesla waned by 12 percent, despite the island nation’s electric car market recording record sales figures.
The company’s car sales in Britain fell from second to seventh place. Among those that overtook it were Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis.
The numbers tell an interesting story. In Germany, which is Tesla’s largest market in Europe, registrations fell by almost 60% in January. Tesla sold only 1,277 cars compared to 3,150 cars last January. This is particularly concerning from Tesla’s perspective, as Germany’s overall car market decreased by only 2.8%, and electric car sales actually grew by 53.5%.
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Ford announced that its electric vehicle division eElectric will record 5 billion in losses from last year and expects losses to grow next year. Ford CEO Jim Farley also stated during the same announcement that electric vehicles still have many unresolved problems. For decades, the most popular vehicle class in the USA has been large pickups, and Farley cited as examples the towing capacity versus range, the weight, and the consumption of their electric versions… “The economics are unresolvable,” he told attendees of the earnings call. “These customers have very demanding use cases for an electric vehicle. They tow, they go off-road, they take long road trips. These vehicles have worse aerodynamics and they’re very heavy, which means very large and expensive batteries. Retail customers have shown that they will not pay any premium for these large EVs.”
The third major player, GM, according to initial information, would be narrowly reaching or at least breaking even with its electric vehicle division.
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A taste of explanation from Ford’s CEO. It is possible to make a profit with the electric car business, and many companies have proven it.
If an electric car is not suitable for a particular purpose, the consumer will buy a different type of car. It’s not that Ford should solve the problem of, for example, long range, high towing capacity, or off-road driving with every car model. If, for example, people in the US want to drive large pickups, is it currently sensible to try to push electric cars there – it may be that the average American consumer does not yet appreciate them and thus ends up buying the gasoline version anyway.
On the other hand, current electric car models from different manufacturers have different versions, for example, regarding towing capacity, and in specific cases, this can determine which car model the consumer chooses. However, most consumers do not care how large a trailer can be towed, as such a feature is not usually needed. If Ford wants to focus on certain smaller customer segments (electric car pickups), it is a conscious choice, and in such a case, the outcome can be harsh. Clearly, Ford’s strategy is in disarray, and it seems the weakest link is right at the top.
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On the other hand, another major player, GM, has found its footing with the Full-Size pickups Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Sierra Denali EV, but GM did produce electric cars in mass production back when Tesla was fighting on the brink of bankruptcy (until Google’s owners saved it), Ford was struggling with the Norwegian Think, Toyota had the Prius, and Honda had the Insight. I mean the Chevrolet Volt and its sibling Opel Ampera. Although they were hybrids, 177,000 units of the Volt were produced during its lifespan.
VW is popular in the USA partly due to the benefits that come with it. It is praised on forums, and problems also occur. It’s worth remembering that Trump supporters are only half, and on the other side, there are very strongly dissenting opinions. There is even organized opposition. Big trucks are about a desire to show off and a feeling of safety. The largest mass wants ordinary cars that can comfortably accommodate a large body. Vacations are short, and truly long journeys are rarely made.
Has anyone familiarized themselves with or even tried the Elli Charging service and what have they observed? 650,000 public charging points across Europe. It’s probably a solution that will get you far in Europe, even if the price is high by Finnish standards. Does it work with all cars, not just VW Group vehicles?
In any case, the Elli system should be much clearer, as home chargers and public charging points are now happily mixed up when searching for information. And in the translations, there are still “flowers” like those in the picture (referring to oddities/errors). Somehow, it feels like it’s a middle school project. One of the biggest car brands shouldn’t have something like that!
Elli is just as useful as any other roaming charging service, which in plain Finnish means completely useless and takes the customer’s money. Sometimes German charging services had good prices for e.g. Ionity, which they partly own, but those times seem to be behind us now. In itself, if they invest in their own charging infrastructure, as I understand happens in some countries, then the service might be able to offer competitive pricing, but for example in Finland, this makes no sense.
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This kind of guessing game with prices certainly doesn’t promote electrification.
European manufacturers should have created a standard where the charger tells the car over the Internet how much electricity costs (or actually this means that the server has information about the chargers and their price list). In the same way that Tesla shows the prices when selecting a Supercharger from the navigation system. It would also make life easier if the credit card number was stored in the car, and then you just plug in and charge.
Today I took my Tesla Model Y for a windshield replacement and got a VW T-Roc as a loaner car, with 25k km on the odometer, so probably last year’s model.
The price range is about the same as the rear-wheel-drive Model Y, i.e., upwards of 40k EUR.
The impression of quality, design, software UX, and driving experience is definitely from a different decade/millennium… Damn, it’s not easy to update old technology.
I haven’t tried the iD yet, it probably has a bit more modern feel?
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It’s not doing great in China either:
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In January 2025, a total of 34,498 electric cars were newly registered in Germany – and almost one in ten of them was a VW ID.7!
ID.7 was Germany’s best-selling electric car in January 2025. A medal position was expected as the body style range expanded, but the top spot for a car in that price range was a surprise.
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Is there a more reliable source for that than this clip?
Source: company filings, i.e., VW’s own data. I haven’t checked the accuracy of the data, but you can investigate if you don’t trust it.
That’s spreading nonsense information. January figures have not been released.
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The T-Roc is quite a decent vehicle, which I’ve had the chance to try a few times. It has exactly what’s needed, but nothing excessive. It’s easy to park, and above all, unnecessary electronic gadgets are notably absent. It’s a practical car without frills, meaning it would be an ‘annoyingly sensible’ purchase.
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