VOLKSWAGEN ANNOUNCES THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN EV FOR LESS THAN US$35,000

By Anne Bourgoin

At the recent Reuters Events Automotive USA conference in Detroit, Volkswagen announced that it aims to bring an EV priced under US$35,000 to the North American market within 3 or 4 years. “We are not scaling back our plans for EVs in the U.S. market,” specified Reinhard Fischer, senior vice president and head of strategy at VW Group of America.

The model will be built either in the U.S. or Mexico, and the company plans to consolidate battery pack assembly to benefit from additional incentives (U.S. Inflation Reduction Act). Battery cells for current and future EVs made in North America will be manufactured in Canada, at the new plant currently under construction in St. Thomas, Ontario.

Reinhard Fischer also presented the new ID.7 sedan and ID.Buzz minivan, which will strengthen the company’s North American electric offering by 2024.