Volkswagen to launch new electric SUV and Golf EV at main German plant

The Volkswagen brand is preparing its network for the future of electric mobility. Volkswagen announced Friday it will produce a new electric SUV at its main plant in Germany. Meanwhile, an electric version of its iconic Golf will follow on the new SSP platform.

New electric Volkswagen SUV coming to Wolfsburg

“We are using the transition to electromobility as an opportunity to reduce the complexity of our production operations and increase the efficiency of our plants,” Christian Vollmer, VW brand board member for production, said Friday.

Volkswagen held a meeting today to inform the supervisory board about its vehicle distribution plans through 2028.

At the meeting, VW announced that aside from the ID.3, the company’s main plant in Wolfsburg will add a second all-electric model.

Volkswagen will begin producing “large numbers” of a new compact electric SUV. Although no other details were offered on the new EV (other than it will be an A-segment SUV), Volkswagen introduced the affordable ID 2all electric hatch concept earlier this year, starting under $27,000 (€25,000) with around 450 km (280 miles) WLTP range.

The ID 2all will be one of 10 new Volkswagen EV models launching by 2026. This year, we saw the new ID.3, the three-row ID.Buzz, and flagship ID.7 sedan hit the market.

Next up, VW said, will be a compact electric SUV in 2026. In a report to Handelsblatt earlier this year, Volkswagen confirmed that it plans to build a new electric SUV similar in size and style to its popular Tiguan (possibly the ID.Tiguan) at Wolfsburg, also in 2026.

Electric VW Golf to follow

During the meeting, Volkswagen revealed it had decided against building an additional plant in Wolfsburg. Instead, new electric models based on its scalable systems platform (SSP) architecture will be made at VW’s main plant.

Expected to launch at the end of the decade, Volkswagen’s iconic Golf will be led into the electric era on the SSP platform at the brand’s Wolfsburg plant.

With this in mind, Volkswagen said as of today, the Trinity vehicle project that has been delayed over software issues will go to its Zwickau plant.

The news comes after reports out of Germany claimed Volkswagen was cutting production at two German plants, including Zwickau, due to lagging demand.

According to Automobilwoche, Volkswagen’s Zwickau plant will shut down one of two ID.3 production lines while cutting nearly 300 temporary workers.

The automaker announced a $1.3 billion investment (1.2 billion euros) in 2018 to prepare the facility to lead it into the electric future.

Electrek’s Take

You can sense Volkswagen’s urgency is starting to pick up. At the meeting, Thomas Schafer, CEO of the Volkswagen brand, said, “Our industry faces complex challenges as it undergoes a transformation that is being conducted under difficult business conditions.”

Meanwhile, Shafer aims for the VW brand to reach a record profitability of 6.5%. Currently, it’s around 3.6%.

EV leaders like Tesla and China’s BYD are moving in on its market. BYD surpassed VW as the best-selling passenger car brand in China for the first time this year and aims to expand the brand in Europe.