Volkswagen halts the electric Golf and changes its strategy against the Chinese
You can start to breathe easy, because its flagship compact will not be electric before 2030. Volkswagen has made an important decision regarding the future ID. Golf, which forces a delay in its launch without caring at all about the Chinese competition. A situation that also affects another model.
Priorities have changed at Volkswagen. The German brand is no longer so clear that the electrification of its star compact is one of the most important issues, so we will not witness a fierce battle between the Wolfsburg firm and the Chinese giants before 2030.
There are several reasons behind this decision, but a special weight lies in the savings program that the manufacturer decided to implement given the complicated situation it faced last year. The manufacturer had decided to move the production of the ninth generation of the Golf, which has begun its development, to the plant in Mexico and save no less than 4 billion euros annually just with this move that also included the future electric Golf.
The Volkswagen Golf 9 will still be "Made in Germany"
But the Golf 9 will not be made in Mexico either; at least, not from the start because that plan has also been delayed. According to sources from the brand who wish to remain completely anonymous, it is all due to budget constraints, and that these are being reviewed for the second half of the decade.
The direct consequence of the ninth Golf in history not being produced in Mexico is a significant delay in the arrival of the future ID. Golf of approximately nine months. An important timeframe that would place the electric compact on the market very close to 2030. The worst part is the long time that will pass until the replacement of an ID.3 that will be revitalized in the middle of next year.
The delay of the electric Golf is good for Volkswagen in its fight with BYD
A replacement that would allow Volkswagen to compete with more guarantees of success against the constantly updating Chinese, and a situation that also affects another important model like the promised ID. Roc. But not everything has to be bad for Volkswagen, because this delay in the launch of an electric Golf will allow the brand to detect the advances of the competition to face them.
It is not the only thing, because BYD will already be manufacturing its electric models in Europe, which means it is forced to regulate prices to avoid losses. Now, when Build Your Dreams faces more balanced production costs, the acceleration of its European expansion will no longer be so easy. Nor will gaining market share...
