Volkswagen is delaying the Golf EV, an electric SUV, and more

The iconic hatch is still going all-electric, but not soon enough. Volkswagen is delaying the electric Golf, an upcoming electric SUV, and more, due to rising costs.

Why is Volkswagen delaying the Golf EV?

Volkswagen is going back to its roots with plans to revive some of its top-selling nameplates, including the Golf and T-Roc, as battery electric vehicles.

Although we expected to see the electric hatch arrive in 2028, it looks like it will actually be closer to the end of the decade now.

Volkswagen is pushing back the launch date by about nine months, according to sources close to the matter (via Bloomberg). The setback is reportedly due to rising costs from the restructuring at its Wolfsburg plant in Germany, where the Golf is produced.

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Last year, the European auto giant agreed to shift production of the gas-powered Golf to Mexico, while the EV version was set to replace it as soon as 2027.

According to the sources, Volkswagen is delaying the Golf EV due to budget constraints associated with the plant retooling.

VW is upgrading the facility to prepare it for its next-generation EVs, including the Golf. The electric T-Roc is also being pushed back, the sources claimed

Plans to move the current Golf to Mexico have been delayed as the costs of new tech and more to build the two new EV models need to be pushed to a different spending period.

The delay comes as tensions at the Wolfsburg plant are rising. According to the sources, production lines are at a standstill due to technical and equipment failures. Output at the facility could fall by thousands of units a week, the sources claim.

Volkswagen plans to launch a new family of more affordable, entry-level electric vehicles to keep pace with BYD and other Chinese EV makers that are quickly gaining market share.

At IAA Mobility 2025 last week, Volkswagen showcased the upcoming lineup, including the ID.Polo and ID.Cross, an electric sibling to the T-TRoc.

The ID.Polo is expected to debut in the first half of next year, starting at around €25,000 ($30,000), followed by the ID.Cross, and a smaller, entry-level EV based on the ID.EVERY1 concept. It looks like we won’t see the electric Golf until closer to the end of the decade now.

Volkswagen is assessing its budget from 2026 to 2030, which could include an around €160 billion ($188 billion) budget to address the issues.

Electrek’s Take

Although Volkswagen has big plans to fend off the incoming wave of low-cost EVs from BYD and other automakers from China, when will we actually see them?

The ID.Polo is due out in the first half of 2026, marking the start of the next generation of Volkswagen. That’s if it launches on time.

Delaying the electric Golf until 2029, at the earliest, will only give BYD and other brands more time to grab market share. BYD is already starting to gain a foothold in Europe, but sales are expected to accelerate as it expands its lineup and distribution network.

European automakers, including VW, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz, are promising that more affordable electric vehicles are on the way, but they’d better get going. Otherwise, it could be too little, too late.