VW - Repair and Service Redwood City - VW ID.1 due in 2027 with starting price below 20,000 euros - Bosch European (650) 368-3000

 

 

Volkswagen Group hasn't given up on its quest to deliver an affordable electric vehicle.

Thomas Schäfer, who heads the automaker's volume Volkswagen brand, said during a press conference on Thursday that an entry-level EV to be called the ID.1 will be launched in 2027 with a price tag starting below 20,000 euros (approximately $21,800, based on current exchange rates).

The vehicle will sit in the minicar segment and replace the current e-Up electric hatchback. VW has four possible designs for the car on the drawing board, and Schäfer said the winning design will be picked in the next few weeks.

Automotive News (subscription required) reported that VW could partner with fellow VW Group brand Skoda to help share development costs for the ID.1. The two are already working on affordable EVs for the Indian market.

Renault Twingo Legend concept

 

Another option would be partnering with Renault, which plans to launch an electric minicar to serve as the next Twingo hatchback. Renault teased a possible design for its future Twingo with the reveal earlier this year of the Twingo Legend, a concept with retro styling mimicking the original Twingo of the 1990s.

According to reports earlier this year, VW is interested in joint development of a platform for affordable EVs, and Renault is one of the possible partners. Renault CEO Luca de Meo is also a former senior VW Group executive.

Prior to launching the ID.1, VW will launch an ID.2 subcompact hatch. Schäfer said to expect the ID.2 around 2026.

The ID.2, which may use the Polo name in production, was previewed last year with the ID.2all concept. The ID.2 is expected to be priced from below 25,000 euros (approximately $27,200). That's roughly the same point at which Tesla wants to price its own affordable EV due around 2025.

 source: https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1142585_vw-id-1-due-in-2027-with-starting-price-below-20-000-euros

by Viknesh Vijayenthiran
http://www.boscheuropean.com

Porsche - Repair and Service Redwood City - VW Group vehicles held at US Customs finally being shipped- Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

 

 

Thousands of vehicles from several Volkswagen Group brands that were being held at ports since late January are now being released and shipped out to dealerships.

A company spokesman told Motor Authority that VW Group expects all vehicles that were held to be delivered by the end of March.

The vehicles span the Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, and Porsche brands. In the case of Porsche, it's all models apart from the 718 and Macan.

At the center of the issue is a small electronic component, thought to be a microchip, that forms part of a larger control unit. The component was sourced from a supplier in western China and according to reports breached anti-forced-labor laws, which put the component on the wrong side of U.S. Customs rules.

For the vehicles to be released a replacement component compliant with U.S. Customs rules is being installed. The replacement components are being installed as they arrive.

A large number of automakers have suffered multiple setbacks related to supply chain issues starting during the days of the pandemic. The most widespread was the chip shortage caused by plants being shut during lockdowns, though there were also more specific issues like the Suez Canal being blocked by the cargo ship Ever Given in 2021 for a period six days, and more recently the Houthi attacks on some cargo ships in the Red Sea.

Several German automakers, including some VW Group brands, also experienced disruptions during the early days of the war in Ukraine. The war prompted the shutdown of plants responsible for assembling wiring harnesses, leading to production halts at some automakers' plants.

 

source: https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1142567_vw-group-vehicles-held-at-us-customs-finally-being-shipped
 

by Viknesh Vijayenthiran
http://www.boscheuropean.com