Volkswagen’s electric Golf may come sooner than expected with help from Rivian

Thanks to Rivian’s software expertise, the long-awaited electric VW Golf could hit the market sooner than expected. Volkswagen is reportedly considering pulling forward the Golf EV launch despite delaying its Tesla-rivaling Trinity EV again.

More Volkswagen EV delays

Once considered Volkswagen’s savior, the Trinity EV was expected to help close the gap with Tesla. After scrapping plans to build a new $2.2B factory to produce the model in 2022, VW’s flagship EV looks to be even further away.

According to a new report from Handelsblatt, VW plans to begin production at the end of 2032, six years after its original 2026 launch date.

VW’s Trinity was supposed to launch in 2026, but the timeline has been pushed back several times. It was expected in 2028, then 2030, and now it looks like closer toward the end of 2032, Handelsblatt learned from company insiders.

The Trinity EV was also expected to be the first Volkswagen EV based on its software-defined Scalable Systems Platform (SSP).

VW is delaying the launch due to slowing EV sales and CEO Oliver Blume’s new plan to cut costs. Meanwhile, we could see the electric Golf jump the Trinity to be the first EV launched on the SSP platform.

VW electric Golf may arrive sooner with Rivian’s help

After announcing a new partnership with Rivian, Volkswagen expects the new joint venture to pay dividends.

VW plans to invest up to $5 billion, $3 billion of which will go to Rivian and $2 billion in the joint venture.

The report claims Volkswagen’s MEB platform will be upgraded to the MEB+ in 2026. Thanks to Rivian’s help, the PPE platform underpinning the new Porsche Macan EV will also get a software upgrade within the next 36 months.

According to the sources, the Golf EV could finally hit the market in 2029, or even sooner, as the first model based on its SSP platform.

VW’s chief tech officer, Kai Grunitz, confirmed earlier this year that “work on a fully electric Golf” has started. Grunitz said that the Golf is the “heart of our brand” and VW doesn’t plan to phase out the name.

“It has to look like a Golf. It has to be affordable like a Golf. It has to be [capable] like a Golf,” VW’s tech boss told Top Gear in January. Grunitz also confirmed there will be a GTI model.

Thomas Shafer, CEO of VW Passenger Cars, also said, “We have iconic brand names, Golf and GTI. It would be crazy to let them die and slip away,” at the 2023 LA Auto Show. The electric hatch is expected to go by the ID.Golf, aligning with VW’s ID series.

Electrek’s Take

With plans to pull forward the Golf EV launch, what will that mean for the ID.3? Volkswagen is also reportedly working on a Tiguan-size electric SUV that could go by the ID.Tiguan.

The Volkswagen Golf was the second best-selling car in Germany last month, an electric model would make sense.

Meanwhile, sales of the VW ID.4/ ID.5 models fell 44.6% in July, while only 935 ID.3s were sold, a drop of 47% YOY.

In the US, ID.4 sales fell 15% in the second quarter compared to Q2 2023. Meanwhile, the Tiguan was VW’s best-selling model in the US in Q2, with over 21,000 units sold. Perhaps Volkswagen needs a shakeup.

What are your thoughts? Would you buy an electric VW Golf or Tiguan? Let us know in the comments what features or price range you would look for.

Source: Handelsblatt, Automotive News