VW: the electric car “the best concept” by 2026 at the latest

Volkswagen has positioned itself against alternatives to battery electric mobility. CEO Herbert Diess is convinced that German manufacturers should mainly build pure electric cars in the future and does not think much about alternatives such as synthetic fuels or hydrogen technology. With a billion euro offensive on electricity, Volkswagen wants to leave the diesel scandal behind and meet the EU’s new CO2 requirements. Diess calls on the automotive industry to make a clear commitment to ambitious climate goals.

“It is better if we help shape change now than pursue development,” Diess told the specialist service Tagesspiegel Background Traffic and Smart Mobility. He again stressed: “We support the EU fleet objectives and the Green Deal”. The transport sector is key to reducing CO2. “We cannot maintain the status quo,” warned the Volkswagen CEO.

Many industry associations would defend the current status because they represent interests. “As managers, however, we need to see what will happen in the environment in the next 20 to 30 years,” says Diess. He considers a fixed date for phasing out internal combustion engines unnecessary: ​​”Tighter CO2 limits will inevitably lead to the end of the internal combustion engine.” Gasoline and diesel vehicles would become more expensive, electric cars cheaper. “By 2026 at the latest, the electric car will be the best concept, ecologically and economically,” Diess said.

The head of Volkswagen again advocated the abolition of the diesel privilege for vehicle tax and a higher CO2 price of around 100 euros. He admitted that the Wolfsburg-based company is unlikely to meet CO2 limits for 2020. “It will be very close,” he said. “So far, we have not met our sales targets for electric vehicles as much as we had planned.”

Producers who do not meet the CO2 targets set by the EU face high fines. To avoid this, Volkswagen is investing 33 billion euros in electromobility by 2024. The focus is on electric cars; plug-in hybrids, such as conventional combustion engines, synthetic fuels and hydrogen drives, do not play a central role in the long term. Volkswagen justifies its focus on battery-powered vehicles by stating that the potential of the alternatives is “enormously overestimated”.