An interesting thought, quoted below. If OEMs were truly serious about EVs, why not take a popular model and announce, for example, “As of the next model year, the Golf will only be available as a BEV.”?
Walter MacVane (@EcoHeliGuy) 5/29/19, 10:42 AM
Who is going to be the first OEM to introduce the next generation of a key model in their portfolio, that’s only offered as a 100% BEV?
So far they have chosen to introduce new models and names, or optional EV powertrains.
Is it to control demand and current sales?
https://twitter.com/ecoheliguy/status/1133745475343880194
< That they have not done this since the original Model S release in 2012 is quite telling...they really are not on board with a sincere effort to transition to EV's. they still want to see Tesla fail.
WM: If VW had announced a 8th Generation Golf as only being offered in Electric, instead of the I.D. 3. What would potential customers for their other product lines (Jetta, Tiguan ect) do? Wait out for an update
Production volumes would be a constraint, so perhaps this would work better with a less popular (and slightly more expensive) model than the Golf.
But making an EV under a new name and a new brand tells ICE car buyers, “Nothing to see here, please ignore this car.” And making ICE, hybrid, and BEV on the same production line smacks of... indecision, at best.
I have read that the “I.D.” moniker for VW’s new EV line stands for “Made in Germany.” So that Europeans can feel better about buying one, I guess — even Germans are surprised at the strong German willingness to buy an American-made Tesla. Perhaps, knowing VW EVs won’t perform like a Tesla, the “I.D.” is intended to help German buyers overlook any shortcomings?