[TusharK]

Klaus Zellmer, Board Member for Sales, Marketing and After Sales, Volkswagen, has confirmed that the carmaker is planning to introduce its first all-electric model in India post-2025.



During an interview, Zellmer stated that the company is in the process of electrifying its line-up. He also added that the first electric car for India will arrive in the second half of this decade.

Zellmer confirmed that instead of experimenting with ICE models, Volkswagen will invest in battery electric vehicles (BEVs) for India as it will be crucial to get the right product at the right cost.



While we still don't have the exact details of VW's all-electric car for India, it could be based on the ID.Life concept that was recently showcased at the IAA 2021 in Munich. The ID.Life is an electric crossover that uses a 234 BHP electric motor powered by a 57 kWh battery pack. It is said to offer a maximum range of 402 km.

Source: CNB

Link to Team-BHP News

[Latheesh]

Post 2025? that is almost 5 years away!

May be it is part of their 3.0 strategy with lot of India specific customization (like a separate place to keep the idol). Hopefully battery pack don't falls off from the initial cars!

I expect few other players launching their electric cars soon and Tata launch their next version/generation electric cars.

[ArTigor]

Let me use this analogy here, "when others have started offering us salad, VW is still showing us a carrot!"
2025 really? What is stopping them to bring in an EV in the next two years. They have the product, their production lines are vacant, they have nothing to loose, bring in via CKD route atleast to test the waters. Look how Nexon is selling, or even the ZS EV, this shows given right product at the right price point, people are willing to pay, especially if you are offering a long range.
On a lighter note, looking at the current winding up trend of manufacturers, I will be surprised as well as happy to see VW staying relevant in the market till 2025.

[AKSarkar1]

If not an EV car then VW should at least continue introducing new models in a timely manner. One thing is for certain that the current outdated models specifically the Polo and Vento will not be prudent to the company post-2025. If not a complete EV then even iterations of a hybrid/mild-hybrid should be considered.

Almost ironic that one of the senior executives in VW Germany gave a press release just two days ago about how "VW has certainly not lost interest in the Indian market". Such timing doesn't look like VW showing a lot of interest IMHO.

[CarJunki]

An eye-opener in terms of seriousness and timelines. I am surprised they even want to operate in Indian market. It will be really beneficial for Indian consumers to wait for VW BEV. I am not holding my breath, though.

[Jhinchak]

What is the point of announcing a car which is 5 years away? Potential buyers are not going to wait so long. I guess its just a way to show they are still active in terms of presence in the market

[sri_tesla]

If Hyundai and VW's Chinese partner (SAIC/MG) can bring their EVs to India through the CKD route with small investments, why not the VW group? They don't need to develop any new EVs separately for the Indian market as they already have a decent lineup of EVs under different brands (VW ID3/ID4, Skoda Enyaq, Audi Q4 e-Tron, etc...). With a single CKD assembly line, they can easily bring all these models to India. That is what Hyundai/Kia will do with Hyundai Kona and Kia Niro EVs.

It's not like they will be cannibalizing their own ICE sales if they bring in EVs. Their market share is so minuscule, I bet they can easily sell as many EVs as their ICE models if not more if they bring their EVs at competitive pricing. Maybe, that will happen in 2025 under the name of India 3.0.