Volkswagen as we know it started with an idea. Ignoring the fact that Adolf Hitler’s plan to mobilize the German masses was to become a pop culture and automotive icon, the Beetle put VW on the map, paving the way for everything the automaker manufactures today. However, a new dawn is upon Volkswagen.
At the 2016 Paris Motor Show, Volkswagen will debut a vehicle that’s half concept car, half teaser for the electrified future of the brand. Not yet named, the mysterious concept is described in overly grand words, including constructions such as “a new ambassador to the automotive world” and “as revolutionary as the Beetle was seven decades ago.” Ambitious stuff, alright.
The only details Volkswagen is willing to slip out at the time of writing is that the production model that will be based on the concept will be the first Volkswagen to ride on the automaker’s modular electrification kit. Colloquially known as MEB, this platform will also underpin future models, as in 30 EVs by 2025. This push has been detailed in the “Together - Strategy 2025” plan.
In addition to electrification, the mentioned business plan also suggests that autonomous driving tech is a crucial factor for the future of Volkswagen. In this regard, the first fully autonomous electric vehicle from the Volkswagen Group is slated to hit the market after 2020. In the aftermath of the Dieselgate scandal, VW appears to have changed its outlook on the industry.
From the three teasers that accompany the cryptic release on the Paris-bound concept, the car looks as if the Volkswagen Golf had watched Tron: Legacy one too many times. An official has also let it slip that the Golf-sized concept car boasts Passat-like room inside. Nice packaging aside, we’re looking forward to seeing how capable the long-awaited Volkswagen MEB platform actually is where it matters most. Of course, that'll be the range.
The only details Volkswagen is willing to slip out at the time of writing is that the production model that will be based on the concept will be the first Volkswagen to ride on the automaker’s modular electrification kit. Colloquially known as MEB, this platform will also underpin future models, as in 30 EVs by 2025. This push has been detailed in the “Together - Strategy 2025” plan.
In addition to electrification, the mentioned business plan also suggests that autonomous driving tech is a crucial factor for the future of Volkswagen. In this regard, the first fully autonomous electric vehicle from the Volkswagen Group is slated to hit the market after 2020. In the aftermath of the Dieselgate scandal, VW appears to have changed its outlook on the industry.
From the three teasers that accompany the cryptic release on the Paris-bound concept, the car looks as if the Volkswagen Golf had watched Tron: Legacy one too many times. An official has also let it slip that the Golf-sized concept car boasts Passat-like room inside. Nice packaging aside, we’re looking forward to seeing how capable the long-awaited Volkswagen MEB platform actually is where it matters most. Of course, that'll be the range.