Volkswagen Done With Fossil Fuel — To Go Green From 2026

Volkswagen Group has announced its plans to end production of both petrol and diesel powered cars from 2026. This will be applicable to all brands owned by the VW Group, which includes VW, Audi, Seat, Skoda, Porsche, Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti among others.

Volkswagen To Stop Petrol & Diesel Engine Production; Focus On Electric Vehicles From 2026

The announcement was made by Michael Jost, Strategy Chief, Volkswagen Group at the automotive Conference held in Wolfsburg, Germany. The decision to completely stop production of petrol and diesel powertrains showcases their shift in focus towards battery-driven vehicles.

Jost stated, "Our colleagues are working on the last platform for vehicles that aren't CO2 neutral. We're gradually fading out combustion engines to the absolute minimum."

Volkswagen To Stop Petrol & Diesel Engine Production; Focus On Electric Vehicles From 2026

The company has been embroiled in the diesel-gate scandal since 2015 and over the years, have had to shell out 27 billion Euros as fines. Now Volkswagen is planning to completely disassociate itself from diesel and petrol engine production.

Volkswagen To Stop Petrol & Diesel Engine Production; Focus On Electric Vehicles From 2026

The first electric vehicle from the Group will be the Porsche Taycan, which is expected to be introduced in international markets next year. Volkswagen has earmarked USD 50 billion to spend over the next five year towards its transformation to electric and self-driving cars.

Volkswagen To Stop Petrol & Diesel Engine Production; Focus On Electric Vehicles From 2026

The company has also announced the start of production of its I.D hatchback within the next 12 months. Volkswagen will also introduce more electric cars from its I.D lineup by 2020. Apart from the I.D (electric hatchback concept), Volkswagen also has plans to launch over 300 partial or fully electric cars, vans, trucks and motorcycles from its lineup by 2030.

Volkswagen To Stop Petrol & Diesel Engine Production; Focus On Electric Vehicles From 2026

The German car manufacturer has already introduced the Volkswagen e-Golf and e-Up models in various European markets. The company is now also in talks with SK Innovations as their partners towards mass production of battery cells.

Volkswagen To Stop Petrol & Diesel Engine Production; Focus On Electric Vehicles From 2026

Thoughts On Volkswagen Shifting Focus Towards Electric Vehicles

Volkswagen has made a bold move, with the announcement regarding the end of their petrol and diesel powered car production. It will be interesting to see how the company evolves itself into an all-electric company and also the kind of products they would bring to the market. It will, however, be of even more interest to see their strategy for the Indian market, especially with companies like Maruti Suzuki also heading in the same direction.

Source: Automotive News

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Read more on: #volkswagen
Article Published On: Wednesday, December 5, 2018, 19:10 [IST]
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